Oberon
by kyugan
Summary: Piccolo thought the afterlife was Hell, but through the machinations of fate, and a wily Guardian/Deity, the Super Namek is about to learn the meaning behind the words 'What Fools These Mortals be'. No Pairings yet, Early Fairy Girl Wendy!
1. Chapter 1

Woo, this one went over well!

As stated, this Random idea is the result of lack of sleep and too much late night anime, in this case DBZ and Fairy Tail.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Hell of a day.**

Hades…the Underworld…Hell.

No matter your faith or ideology, this is the last destination for those whose lives have been fraught with the suffering of others.

Well, not really, all that fire an brimstone is really just for show, a relic of a bygone era, back when the boss ran around dressed in a cheap tuxedo, poking people in the ass with his pitchfork.

Needless to say, Enma Daio had matured a little over the millennia, having the living crap beaten out of you by King Kai, not to mention almost being eaten alive by the Princess of Snake Way, will do that to a deity, and so the underworld underwent a little…restructuring.

The highest level, the one where the poor unfortunate souls of those damned for minor offences were sent, was little more than a hellish rest-centre, where the ogres kept an eye on the little vapor clouds until they either served their penance or reincarnated.

The Lower levels however, where the sadistic, mass-murdering sociopaths and ne'er-do-wells were sent, were picture perfect for the stereotypical 'hell hole', filled with pits of fire, towering mountains that tore the flesh, raging thunderstorms and not a hint of light in the darkest of hours.

Those consigned to THIS pit were those who, generally, made such colossal pests of themselves that it was downright retarded to let them run free topside, where they could stumble across the 'secret exit', which in reality simply lead back to Enma Daio's office.

Now normally, one would question having such an exit in the first place, especially considering that, to the denizens of the lower levels, the Oni left in charge of guarding it were hideously under qualified, but Enma Daio was firm, stating that accidents had happened before, and you didn't argue with the giant, bearded Deity with the fire breathing, laws of time-and-space deforming mahogany desk.

Getting back on track, here, in the literal belly of the underworld, the very worst of the worst are held in confinement until the end of days, squabbling amongst themselves in vain attempts at passing the time, or getting together in groups to plot ways of escape, none of which succeeded, partially due to their inability to go two seconds without stabbing the others in the back, and partially because Enma Daio had a man on the inside, so to speak.

* * *

_A deserted peak..._

Deep within the confines of the underworld, resting atop one of the tallest, storm wracked peaks, a lone figure sat in meditation, his long white cape fluttering behind him in the dry, static filled air.

At first glance, one might mistake him for a really tall man. After getting a second look, those that dared to brave the storm to do so would see that the 'man' was, in fact, green, dressed in a purple karate gi with red obi under a weighted mantle with massive shoulder pads and burnoose, a weighed turban adorning his head. His bare, muscular arms were adorned with pink patches of flesh, and if one looked closely, those who hadn't already been fried by the lightning that is, it was clear to see that his hands only possessed three fingers instead of the usual four.

The man's name was Piccolo, onetime scourge of the planet earth, or one of them anyways, as that particular name was rather popular in the northern region of space, and now live-in warden of the Underworld.

It was a completely voluntary position, in a manner of speaking, as Piccolo HAD been originally slated for heaven, being not only one of his adoptive planet's greatest heroes, despite a less than stellar start, but a former 'God' in his own right, though the technical term was 'Guardian', but far be it from the higher ups to meddle in the affairs of mortals.

The reason behind the Namekian's tenure within the infernal pits was a tale far too long to explain here, involving, for lack of a better word, a prison break, a ruse to lure earth's champion into the underworld, and Piccolo pretending to be his own father in order to provide a means for said champion to return to the land of the living.

Quite the saga, worthy of a rock ballad when you get down to it, but right now the only thing on Piccolo's mind was meditation, both to bolstering his ki reserves and to commune with Dende, his 'successor' back on earth, and generally making a pest of himself wherever the other denizens were concerned.

Cell, in particular, simply couldn't get over the fact that Piccolo, who he could once slap around with his pinkie, could now take him down without too much effort on the namekian's part. The composite bio-android just couldn't seem to click that, being dead, his power level wouldn't rise every time Piccolo cleaned his clock, as the DNA he'd 'inherited' from the Saiyans didn't work post-humusly.

The Bio-Roid was usually found in the company of Frieza, one-time gender-confusing terror of the universe, now simply second-banana to Cell and hating every minute of it. The two of them had come VERY close, in their own deluded minds, to finishing Goku off during his tenure here, being dead meant they could take a licking despite the Saiyan's power-up over the years, only for Goku to prove to be the monkey wrench, pun intended, in their plans once again.

Not that this kept them from trying mind you, oh no, the deluded duo usually made their bid to escape their imprisonment once every other week, usually corralling the former Tyrant's father and lackeys into tagging along, literally raising hell until Piccolo showed up to smack some sense out of them, before promptly returning to his meditation.

If he were any other man, the sheer monotony of it all would have driven the former 'demon king' insane. But Piccolo had never been one for socializing, preferring the solitudes of the wastelands or Kami's Lookout to enduring the slack-jawed stares of the mindless masses he was sworn to protect. So other than having to shield himself from the occasional lightning bolt, nothing entirely new actually, and swooping in to save the hapless Oni he was unofficially in charge of, Hell wasn't all that bad.

In retrospect, after that train of thought, the surly Namek really should have been expecting what was coming when the Oni in a white-collar shirt and tie clambered up to see him with an envelope in hand.

* * *

_Enma's office..._

"The HELL is this?" Piccolo demanded, the mighty Namekian once again standing before Enma Daio's admittedly impressive desk, a sheet of paper held out before him and a look of annoyance on his face.

"Exactly what it looks like." Enma replied, the massive, bearded Oni in a well-cut purple suit peering over the edge of his desk with a neutral expression "A Petition for reincarnation, signed and approved by yours truly."

"I didn't petition for anything." Piccolo countered, glaring up at the bearded deity, his look of annoyance seemingly permanently fixed to his face as the attendant Oni began to creep away from the likely battle zone "In fact, last I checked, those sentenced to hell don't GET a second chance."

"Not normally, no." Enma admitted, shaking his head, before patting a massive hand on a stack of files that occupied the 'out' tray on his desk, which was still nothing compared to his considerable 'in' tray, which was set on the floor to the side of his desk "However, in light of your prior action, and your recent achievements down below, I deemed in necessary to make an exception in this case."

"I didn't do all this for anyone's benefit." Piccolo countered, crossing his arms with a defiant snort, smirking cruelly "I just felt like getting even with those freaks down below for all the trouble they caused."

"I told you he'd be difficult." A voice chuckled, Piccolo turning to glare over his shoulder at an elder Namekian, though not nearly as old as Kami had been prior to their fusing, dressed in the simplistic, robe-like garments of their people with the kanji for 'Kami' over the front, though with a sleeveless brown jacket rather than the traditional blue cloak.

"Dende…" Piccolo muttered, his eyes narrowing in understanding as he eyed his 'replacement' and pseudo brother with a frown "Why am I not surprised to find you involved in this?"

"Because Nail knows me all too well." Dende replied with a smile, referring to the first Namek that Piccolo had fused with all those years ago to combat Frieza, for all the good it did.

"There is that…" Piccolo noted, a hint of amusement in his tone as he scoffed at the younger, in age if not appearance, Namek's gall "Still doesn't explain what you think you're up to."

"Simply giving you the chance you deserve." Dende countered, looking his fellow Namekian in the eye as he spoke "You gave your life to ensure the Black Star Dragon Balls never plague the universe again, and then your place in heaven to send Goku back to us."

"I did it because it HAD to be done." Piccolo countered, crossing his arms with a scowl that to many would be deemed threatening, but to those who knew him meant he didn't like the way the conversation was going "I made those choices of my own free will, I've got no regrets."

"Sure…" Dende muttered, quirking his eyebrow in a way that Piccolo suspected must have come with his position, the patented 'I'm God, don't try to bullshit me' look that Kami had used so well "Either way, it's already been decided."

"No it HASN'T." Piccolo countered, scowling at his successor defiantly as he crossed his arms before him, sending Dende's look right back at him, as if to remind the younger namekian that he TOO had been 'God' at one point "Last I checked, reincarnation is an optional fate, meaning it's down to ME, not Enma, and certainly not you."

"That's true…" Enma admitted, though Piccolo could swear the bearded deity's smile was decidedly more smug than it had right to be "In the case of those sent heavenward that is, those sent down below don't get a choice, if I say they reincarnate, they're outta here." He smirked "How do you think Uub came about?"

* * *

_With Piccolo..._

Piccolo cursed, having forgotten the reincarnated majin that had become Goku's student, having had little to no interaction with him while alive, since while the duo had trained at the lookout, he had opted to retreat to the wastelands and forests, his usual haunts, for a little peace and quiet.

After all, he couldn't very well meditate with all the noise those two were making, not to mention Kami's screeches of indignation as the Lookout was torn apart from within.

'In hindsight, destroying the door to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber WASN'T such a hot idea.' The Namekian warrior muttered, shaking his head with a frown 'Still, doesn't change my dilemma now does it?"

"I know this must come off as rather sudden Piccolo." Dende admitted, the younger, if not in appearance, Namekian's features kind, and his tone reassuring as he looked up at his late predecessor "But I'm not the only one who feels you deserve this chance, as the petition will show."

Piccolo frowned, one of the ridges over his eyes rising in a manner reminiscent of a quirked a eyebrow as one of Enma's white-collar lackeys shuffled forwards, a large, make that massive scroll tucked under one deceptively scrawny arm. Coming to a halt before the former Guardian, the Oni unfurled the scroll, letting it drop to the floor as he help it out to Piccolo to examine, the Namek's eyes widening as he espied the sheer multitude of names.

One name in particular stood out amongst the rest, a name that Piccolo hadn't heard in years, decades even judging by Dende's appearance, but which nonetheless held a particular spot in the Namek's no-longer beating heart.

"It was Gohan who contacted me regarding the petition in the first place." Dende admitted, the aged healer smiling at the memory of his young friend from Earth, who had passed away a long time ago "He thought it unfair that, after everything you went through, you had to suffer being grouped together with the likes of Frieza and Cell."

"Those losers aren't a threat to me anymore and he knows it." Piccolo countered with a snort, though he couldn't help the warm feeling his young friend's concern formed in his chest "What surprises me is how you got so many names."

"Well, all of the crew from earth signed up without question…" Dende admitted, only to wince slightly at Piccolo's quirked brow "Alright, Vegeta and Chichi took a while, but hey, I'm Kami, patience is a virtue."

"I'll bet…" Piccolo scoffed, smirking as he recalled the Prince of all Saiyans' stubborn streak. Vegeta and he had started out as bitter enemies, then uneasy allies, before finally developing a bond of camaraderie that all the Z-Warriors shared. It helped that, out of the entire group, they were the only ones that could stay serious for any length of time, though Vegeta's Saiyan battle lust vexed the Namek to no end. And that didn't even BEGIN to compare to the rocky relationship between him and Chichi, Goku's spouse, and mother of Gohan and Goten.

In Piccolo's opinion, which was secretly shared by most of the Z-Warriors, Son Chichi had been a loud, annoyingly overprotective woman that didn't know her own mind. She honestly had the GALL to place a higher value on such a redundant thing as homework when an alien menace was threatening to wipe out all life on the planet.

Of course, things had ALWAYS been strained between the two, as Chichi had never really forgiven the Namek for 'kidnapping' Gohan as a child and turning him, in her own words, into a 'no-good-delinquent'. Piccolo would normally ignore such a tirade, but Vegeta hadn't given the woman the moniker 'harpy' for nothing, a title that any Namek, with their advanced hearing, felt aptly justified.

"King Kai also had all of his former pupils on the Grand Kai's planet sign up." Dende revealed, gesturing to the additional names that made up the majority of the scroll with his staff "Pikkon, the champion from West quadrant signed up as well."

"I don't even KNOW these people…" Piccolo muttered, his brows twitching in exasperation as he eyed the sheer multitude of names in disbelief "I mean seriously, why would they even CARE that I'm down here?"

"You're one of them Piccolo." Dende shot back, the aged healer's smile patient, though his eyes bore a hint of hidden mischief that Piccolo would have missed were it not for Nail's memories "They can't wait for you to join them on the Grand Kai's plane, once your tenure is over."

"Good thing they're dead," Piccolo muttered, mentally forcing the scroll to roll up again, tossing it to the Oni with a snort "cause then they won't have to hold their breath, I'm not doing this, and even if I DID, don't they know how long a Namekian's average lifespan is?"

"Like you said…" Dende chuckled, the aged healer turned minor diety smirking back at his deceased counterpart with a smug little smile on his wrinkled face "They're dead, they've all the time in the world."

"Well I Certainly DON'T!" Enma roared, the massive deity slamming his hammer on the gavel as he glared down at the suddenly nervous Nameks. For as powerful as they were, it didn't change the fact he was a huge-ass demon with the power to make their lives, or afterlives, a living hell if he saw fit "Can you two wrap this up? I've got a busy schedule ahead of me and you're holding up the line!"

"S-Sorry Enma!" Dende offered, waving his hands before him apologetically whilst chuckling weakly, something that gave Piccolo a strange sense of Déjà vu from Kami's memories, before turning to face the taller Namekian with a sigh "Looks like this is it."

"You do realize that without ME down there, Cell and Frieza are sure to start something sooner or later." Piccolo muttered, eyeing the aged healer with his traditional angry poker face, deciding to pull out his trump card.

"No need to worry about that." Enma chuckled, the bearded Deity looking very pleased with himself as he stroked his beard "We've already looked into getting an replacement, hell he practically volunteered for the job."

"Who is it?" Piccolo wondered, cursing as his last-ditch attempt was shot to hell, literally, his eyes narrowing as a form appeared in the doorway, features hidden by the light, though he could make out a blue gi, white boots and a cape, his eyes widening as the light dimmed, revealing an all-to-familiar figure with giant ears, horns, a styled goatee and widow's peak, and glowing golden eyes "YOU!"

"Greetings, noble warrior." Dabura greeted, the King of all Demons offering a polite bow, his forehead devoid of Babidi's crest, and his trademark leer missing from his face, making him seem almost regal in appearance "It is honor to stand before you once again, I do so apologize for our…first impression."

"What in the hell is HE doing here?" Piccolo demanded, rounding on Dende and Enma whilst pointing at the Demon King, who showed no outward reaction to the Namek's finger in his face "Scratch that, why isn't he down there with the others?"

"Dabura was sent heavenward after losing to Buu back on earth." Dende explained, shrugging his shoulders at Piccolo's quirked brow "Enma Daio figured he'd enjoy himself too much down below."

* * *

_With Piccolo again..._

"So it's like the opposite of what happened to me." Piccolo muttered, the Namek shaking his head at the irony of it all as he eyed the late Demon King warily, looking the former Majin up and down with a critical stare.

He had to admit, as replacements went Dabura was probably the best man for the job, hell he was probably better suited than the Namek ever had been, he certainly dressed the part. Add to that, the number of people with the power to back up the rules and keep the inmates in line could be counted on one hand, and Piccolo would never agree to letting Gohan or one of Goku's other descendants take his place in hell, even for a short time.

He certainly couldn't see Vegeta agreeing taking up the position, hell he didn't WANT to think of what would happen if he locked the volatile Saiyan prince in Hell with Frieza and Cell.

In terms of power, Dabura was probably a little stronger than Cell, at least as far as the former Majin's fight with Gohan on Babidi's ship had gone, according to Vegeta anyways. He also had the advantage of that Demonic Saliva of his that turned his enemies to stone, so if push came to shove, Frieza and Cell could serve eternity as Pigeon roosts.

"Keep an eye out for Cell's tail." He warned the Demon King, looking the former Majin in the eyes as he spoke "If he gets you with that he can absorb your power, other than that, they're all yours."

"Many thanks," Dabura offered, the Demon King inclining his head towards the Namekian with a hand over his chest once again "I am glad to provide this service in light of past misdeeds, and hope you too can find the atonement you deserve in your next life."

"Uh right…" Piccolo muttered, a bead of sweat adorning the back of his head as one of his 'underlings' stepped forward to escort the new 'custodian' of Hell to his post, turning to look at Enma as they vanished "The hell did you people do to that guy?"

"Nothing at all." Enma countered, looking affronted "Dabura wasn't ENTIRELY evil when he reigned as king in his own dimension, truth be told he was mostly beneficent, albeit…darkly so. Babidi simply brought out the true evil of his demon nature, which made him all the more violent."

"I somehow DOUBT he was anything like what I just saw prior to that." Piccolo muttered, scowling as Enma averted his eyes pointedly, looking uncomfortable "Did you hit him on the head too hard with that hammer of yours?"

"Maybe a little…" Enma admitted, sounding like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar for a moment, before rounding on the Namek with a snarl "Enough about that! I don't answer to you and it's none of your damned business!"

"Two words…Double Mint." Piccolo muttered, waving a hand in front of his face with a grimace as the wind from the deity's roar blew his cape back, ignoring the seething bureaucrat in favor of looking at Dende, who seemed highly amused by the whole thing, not bothering to hide his shaking shoulders "You're sure there's no way to talk you two out of this?" he asked, his tone resigned, but determined to go down fighting nonetheless.

"Afraid not." Dende quipped, smiling up at the taller Namek as he shook his head, the amusement in his eyes clearly visible "It wont be so bad, you'll retain your memories of your past life, so it won't be a COMPLETE return…Also, since fusing with Kami and Nail, you'll be stronger than you were the first time round."

"Well that's a plus I suppose..." Piccolo muttered, the Namek crossing his arms with a grunt even as he sensed twin sighs of relief from his 'tenants' inside the recesses of his mind "So when exactly do I set out?"

"You already left." Dende returned, smiling at the look of confusion on the elder Namek's face, just before he vanished in a blur of motion "Popo was right, it IS fun to do that!"

* * *

_One magical journey through time and space later..._

Porlyusica sighed, the anti-social healer having just seen off her old acquaintance Markarov, and the poor, unfortunate little girl the perverted midget had brought to see her, having done what she could to restore the lass' right eye.

In the end, there wasn't much that COULD be done, healing wasn't the most precise of magics, and Porlyusica's relied heavily on herbs, potions, and the body's own natural fortitude, which fortunately the lass, Erza she believed her name was, had possessed in spades.

'Such a poor thing…' she sighed, recalling how only one of the girl's eyes had shed tears despite all her best efforts, only for Erza to bravely brush such concerns aside, thanking her for her help 'Markarov, you truly can't keep your nose out of other people's business…'

Shaking her head, the healer turned, preparing to head back to her home, which resided in the trunk of a living tree, when she paused, her brows knotting as she sensed something off to the side, something that hadn't been there earlier.

'What's this?' she wondered, stepping forwards cautiously, as despite loathing the company of humans, that didn't particularly mean she cared for a wild animal to break into her apple crates, particularly not the batch she'd just picked the other day 'An egg?'

It was indeed an egg, though not one from any species Porlyusica could recall, and she knew the denizens of her forest home better than anyone, save the trees themselves. It was large, about the size of a beach ball, the shell tinted a faint green in the light of the forest, resting as calm as could be amongst her apples, like it belonged there.

Porlyusica certainly didn't think so, and was reaching out to remove the oversized omelet in the making when it twitched, her eyes widening as cracks formed in the shell, stepping back to give the newly hatched creature room to finish it's escape from confinement.

She certainly wasn't expecting a green fist to punch through the shell, followed by another, the two working in tandem to tear the shell off and toss it to the side, revealing a bald, green skinned child, approximately three years old by the look of it, with antenna and pink, muscular patches adorning it's arms glaring at the world around it, gasping for breath and covered in green yolk.

"I'm going to fucking KILL Dende…" it growled, teeth clenched in irritation at whoever this 'Dende' person was, before collapsing forwards, it's strength apparently spent as it collapsed face first into her apple crates, spilling fruit everywhere.

Needless to say, Porlyusica felt the beginnings of a headache she normally only experienced when dealing with Markarov's latest act of stupidity building up behind her eyeballs.

* * *

And that'll do for now.

As I said before, the basic premise for this is as follows: Piccolo is in Hell. Which sucks majorly. Dende, being the semi-omnipotent deity that he is, has inherrited his predecessors need to meddle in the affairs of those he deems worth it (amusing) to do so, and so petitions to have Big Green revived, in a manner that won't bring the be-damned Black Star Balls back with him.

And so reincarnation is the way of the day, fortunately he's still a Namek, unlike Buu, who became human.

For those of you who wonder just how powerfull Piccolo is, and whether or not he's gonna be overpowered, the answer is, thankfully no, I'm not so cheap.

Piccolo will start off with a measley, for HIM anyways, powerlevel, on a ccount of his JUST HAVING HATCHED. However, since he's fused with Nail and Kami, his base power level as a child should be around 1,400. Impressive for a child, but compared to what he had prior to his sacrifice, barely adequate.

Radditz: I...effing...hate you all...

Ghost Nappa: Saiyan as strong as a saiban says what?

Kyugan: *smirks as Radditz starts ripping his hair out* As such, he can probably get off two Makankousappo a day to begin with *Namekians look like five year olds when they hatch, right?* but he'll not be using it on account of it taking too long to charge up.

It won't take 5 minutes, like the first time, but it'll take longer than he's used to since he lacks the power to get it out quickly, though he has the mental strength required to speed it up.

Also, there will be a lot of alteration to the main plotline, such as Wendy being included in Fairy Tail from the start. *when Charle's going to join is beyond me*, expect Piccolo to play a major role in this, since he's effectively replacing Mystogan.

GN: Sorry Myst, badass as you are, we still know jack about you from Adam.

Kyugan: My reasons for doing this are simplicity itself, their true names are strangely simillar.

GN: 'choo talkin' 'bout kyugan?

Kyugan: According to the Fairy Tail Wiki, *yes, it exists people* Mystogan's Real Name could be 'Another World', a reference to a character from Hiro-sensei's other work, Rave.

Chibi-Wendy: *Cute head tilt* I still don't get it...

Kyugan: *So f-in Ky-ute it shouldn't be legal!* Well, according to Mr. Popo *eyes the shadows warily* Piccolo's name, in the namek language, means Another World.

Wendy: *Big sparkly eyes* COOL!

GN: I still don't get it.

Popo: Then we're gonna have a problem...

Kyugan: *as Nappa's screams fill the air* Oh god! Review! *Popo's Laughter draws nearer* For the love of God! Revie-!

**SIGNAL LOST**


	2. Chapter 2

Okay so, seems tihs one's off to a good start, ne?

Let's hope you all stick with it.

Note, for the first few years, Piccolo's adventures are gonna mostly Ad LIb's, as the story prior to Wendy Joining is rarely touched on save in flashbacks and filler eps.

As such, I will be using Dragonball Movies and possibly Filler characters *who are technically non canon* to flesh out the back story.

until then, I believe we left off with our hero in the tender care of resident sociophobe, Porlyusica.

Ghost Nappa: God Have Mercy on that poor Namek's Soul...

* * *

**Chapter 2: Little Big Green.**

Porlyusica sighed, the healer straightening up with a light pop of her lower back as she settled the strange child-creature that had hatched in her apple basket onto her bed, pulling the leafy blanket over it's chest, her sleeves rolled up and her cloak damp, having just finished washing it clean of the remaining after-birth that had clung to it.

'I'm getting to old for this…' she muttered, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all as she thumped her shoulders stiffly with a bony fist 'And to think, I actually told Markarov off for putting his nose where it doesn't belong…'

She scoffed, shaking her head at the irony, glad that the perverted little troll wasn't here to see her doing just the very thing she told him off for every time he came to visit, before turning her attention to her latest patient.

'Whatever it is, it's built along the lines of an average human child…' she noted, trailing her eyes over the strange creature's developed frame beneath the covers, one hand pressed against it's brow to check for temperature 'Skin seems normal to the touch, if hairless and a little cooler than normal.' She hummed to herself, intrigued despite her better judgment 'from the skin color alone I was almost expecting it to be more reptilian in nature-!'

She trailed off, eyes widening in surprise as a hand, one adorned with three fingers instead of the usual four she noted, latched onto her wrist, her eyes narrowing as she gazed down into the pair that were glaring back up at her.

"Who are you?" the green child demanded, pausing for a second, scowling at the sound of it's own voice, as if unused to the sound, before resuming it's fierce glaring contest with the elderly woman "Where am I?"

"My name is Porlyusica." The healer replied her tone calm, and decidedly disapproving as she matched the child's glare with one of her own "And I don't feel like talking to ungrateful little brats that don't keep their hands to themselves."

The creature frowned, though Porlyusica matched it with a scowl of her own, the healer catching a faint hint of grudging approval in the child's eyes as it released her wrist and sat up, looking about the room whole Porlyusica rubbed the feeling back into her wrist, the circulation having been cut off by the child's surprisingly strong grip. "Where am I?" it asked again, turning to face with a slightly less threatening glare.

"You're in my house." Porlyusica informed him, at least it SOUNDED male to her, though it was hard for her to tell, since the creature lacked any visible form of genitalia when she'd bathed it earlier, "I brought you here and cleaned you up after you hatched in my Apple baskets." She eyed the creature critically "You're awfully developed for a newborn."

"My people develop quicker than humans." The creature shot back, noting the quirked brow this incited in the woman and choosing to ignore it "But never mind that, what country am I in? What year is it?"

"Now just you lie back down and be quiet." Porlyusica ordered, pressing down on the child's shoulders, a little surprised at the amount of resistance it put up before she gave up and let it sit up "Honestly, just out of the shell and already it thinks it can talk like that to it's elders…your parents would be ashamed."

The child scoffed, a look of dark amusement crossing it's features as it tossed the blanket aside and got to it's feet, standing a good three feet tall before the woman, looking down to find itself naked as the day he'd hatched, which was earlier today for that matter.

"If you're looking for clothes then you're out of luck." Porlyusica pointed out, crossing her arms before her as she eyed the strange child like a trainer eyes a wild animal "I live by myself out here, and none of my things will fit."

"Not a problem…" the child assured her, his tone dismissive as he held up his palms, his mouth opening in a snarl that revealed fanged teeth as he growled, Porlyusica's eyes widening in surprise as she felt a shift in the air around her, a glow covering the child's body for a few seconds, before suddenly fading away, his body now covered in a sleeveless purple Gi with red obi and a white burnoose. (Kid Gohan's outfit from after he trained with Piccolo/Went to Namek)

'A Re-quip?' she wondered, eyeing the strange child warily as he checked himself over for any flaws in his clothes 'No, he can't have done that, he'd need to set up the dimension space in advance first, but he only hatched a few hours ago…' she narrowed her eyes at the child 'don't tell me…Magical Materialization?'

"Sorry for imposing." The strange child offered, one three fingered hand holding his wrist, the other hand clenching experimentally as he checked himself over, nodding as he deemed his new apparel to be acceptable "I'll be leaving now."

"Wait…" Porlyusica called out, the elderly healer feeling quite surprised at herself for doing so, even as she placed a restraining hand on the child's shoulder as he made to walk out the door of her home "Where are you going?"

"To find out where I am." The green child informed her curtly, looking over his shoulder at the elderly healer with a hint of smug mockery in his eyes "Since it's obvious I'm bothering you, I figure it'd be best if I left."

"Don't get presumptuous!" Porlyusica snapped, her temper flaring at the child's tone and manner of speech despite her attempts at reigning it in, tightening her grip on the child's shoulder as she calmed down "It's dark out," she amended, her tone calm "you'd be better off setting out in the morning."

"I can take care of myself." The child countered, his tone laced with something akin to annoyance, as if he felt insulted by her concern for his safety, his strange, browless eyes narrowing in an offended scowl.

"Oh yes, I'm very sure…" Porlyusica agreed snidely, shaking her head "Barely out of your shell and you think you can tackle the Magnolia woods at night? There are grown mages that don't hazard these woods by DAY."

"YOU seem to have managed pretty well for yourself." The child countered, a hint of petulance in it's tone as it looked her up and down, no doubt gauging her up as a potential threat, though judging from his features, not a credible one.

"That's because I know these woods better than anyone else." Porlyusica countered, a hint of pride in her tone as she stood over the brat "And they know ME just as well. So long as they steer clear of ME, I don't go looking for THEM."

The child frowned, a look of disbelief on his face as he eyed the frail looking healer from head to foot, before exhaling, his shoulders relaxing as he turned to face her "Have it your way."

"This is just for the night mark you!" the elderly healer snapped, eyeing the green child over her shoulder as she got out a spare bedroll for him to sleep on "After that, I'll drag you to the town myself if I have to!"

"Yeah whatever…" the child muttered, catching the bedroll tossed at his head with apparent ease, before unfurling it and setting it on the floor, off to the side, where he wouldn't deliberately get underfoot.

"Sassy little brat…" Porlyusica muttered, huffing indignantly at his lack of reaction to her attempted assault, crossing her arms as she watched him settle into the corner in a meditation stance "You got a name there boy? Or do I have to start with the nicknames?"

The child said nothing for a moment, and Porlyusica was about to walk over and smack some manners into his bald green head, when he opened one eye, which locked onto her own pair like a hawk "Piccolo." He uttered, before closing his eyes and, from the looks of it, fell asleep while still in the meditation stance.

Her question answered, Porlyusica set about preparing for sleep herself, casting furtive looks over her shoulder towards the eerily silent child even as she locked up for the night. 'It's only until the morning…' she reasoned, slipping under the leafy cover of her mattress, her back to her guest as she closed her eyes 'After that he's none of your concern…

* * *

_One Year Later…_

Piccolo scowled, his eyes closed as he sat in meditation atop a cliff overlooking a waterfall basin, not too far away from Porlyusica's home in the Magnolia woods.

It had been a whole year since he'd hatched on Planet Rave, one year since he'd first encountered Porlyusica and became a begrudging resident of her home, though he spent most of his time in the forests around it, training and familiarizing himself with the natural splendor around him.

By this point his body had developed considerably, to the point he resembled a ten year old human child in size, though this still didn't appease his ire regarding the current situation, in fact, it merely reaffirmed his vow to tan Dende's hide so HARD when he finally crossed over that the younger namek would never be able to sit down again, regeneration be damned.

That being said, when he stopped cursing the younger deity long enough to think about it, the situation wasn't ALL bad. True, he'd regressed back to the age he'd been when he'd first been born, shortly after his father's death at the hands of Goku, and as such, his power had dropped accordingly. However, Dende had been right in that he was MUCH stronger than he'd been born the first time round.

He wouldn't know precisely how strong he was until he regained full control over his Ki, the vast majority of which remained sleeping within his body until he was ready to use it, but Piccolo suspected that he was at least as strong as when he and Goku faced off against Raditz all those years ago, quite the accomplishment for a namekian child barely a year into the world.

Another plus was that, despite a rocky start and her being devotedly anti-social, Porlyusica seemed to consider the young Namekian to be an exception to her 'Despising human company' attitude, since he certainly didn't qualify as human no matter how you looked at him.

Truth be told, the young Namek suspected he intrigued the old woman, and Piccolo, though he was loath to admit it, felt the same about her, for all her faults and moments of random violence, which were eerily reminiscent of one of Chichi's warpaths.

It was like there was a bizarre kinship between them, both being anti-social loners who nonetheless kept getting dragged into everyone else's problems.

Not that this meant the two were BONDING or anything. Heaven forbid. All it meant was that provided Piccolo did the occasional chore and Porlyusica provided him with shelter from the elements, the two of them wouldn't interfere with one another's lives too much.

Porlyusica generally would never have made such an offer, preferring instead to get a hold of some 'Markarov' and have HIM haul whatever unfortunate Sprog stumbled across her to be raised at Fairy Tail, the man's guild. The only reason she hadn't so far was because Piccolo, being a Namek, didn't need food to eat, which meant there was little to no change in the healer's routine, less than there'd be if she chose to venture into town to get the perverted dwarf to take the child off her hands.

This meant that, aside from the aforementioned chores, which included collecting apples, herbs and other ingredients from the surrounding woodlands, drawing water and generally making sure he didn't leave a mess whenever he came into the house, Piccolo was left to his own devices all day, which gave him lots of time to meditate, and work on his fighting skills.

* * *

_In a clearing not far from Porlyusica's home..._

'It's so peaceful here…' the Namekian muttered, sitting cross-legged with his hands cupped before him, his eyes closed as he listened to the sounds of nature all around him 'Not only that…the air, the forests…even the water, it all feels so much more alive than back on earth.'

Getting to his feet with a grunt, the former Super Namek dusted off his clothes, which resembled the same outfit Gohan had worn as a child to emulate him, discarding the upper section of the Gi altogether, leaving him stripped to the waist, before idly stepping off the edge of the cliff, using his ki to slowly lower himself down to the basin below, standing ankle deep in the shallows of the water.

Taking a deep breath, he allowed his ki to rise up from within, a small aura, almost insignificant by his standards, surrounding his body as he held his palms out the side, breathing slowly and steadily through his nose as ripples began to form around him.

'Raise my ki, raise it slowly from my center throughout my body…' he muttered, going through the motions with almost agonizing slowness 'Visualize it passing through a thin…soft tube…'

It was a form of spiritual exercise unique to those trained in the traditional Namekian way. Unlike Saiyans, whose battle prowess increased exponentially with each battle they survived, Namekian warriors needed a strict regimen of mental and spiritual training on top of the physical to maintain and develop their abilities. The only difference between this and the HUMAN method, was that Namekians could gain phenomenal strength simply from meditating and image training, something that Piccolo had done almost exclusively since fusing with Nail and Kami.

He maintained this stance for several seconds, then minutes, eventually drawing it out into hours, his breath slowly and steadily falling into rhythm with the beat of his heart while he listened to the sound of falling water, which drowned out even the sounds of nature all around him. "You can come out now…" he called out after an hour or so, not bothering to open his eyes or turn round as he sensed the familiar presence lurking in the background.

"Humph, you're a sharp one." Porlyusica noted, her tone annoyed, though Piccolo caught the approving look in her eyes as she stepped into view, completely at ease with her surroundings, as if she hadn't been spying on him from the shadows "So this is where you've been disappearing off to."

"Did you need me for something?" Piccolo asked, the young Namek turning to face his, for lack of a better word, caretaker, slowly lowering his Ki, pulling it back within his body until the ripples vanished from around his feet.

"Markarov's gone and taken in another stray kid at that guild of his." Porlyusica revealed, the elderly healer shaking her head in exasperation "Honestly, does he think he's running a day-care center? And at HIS age no less?"

Piccolo remained quiet, having learned from experience that it was better to let the woman finish her ranting before speaking up, as she'd snap at you otherwise, the Namek pulling the top of his purple gi back on before speaking up "And?"

"Well the little bugger's gone and gotten himself sick from trying to eat Laxus' lightning." The healer huffed, referring to Laxus Dryar, Markarov's Grandson, whose ability and power were matched only by the teen's increasingly bad attitude, though Piccolo had never met him personally "Dragonslayer or not, he shouldn't go around doing things that are so blatantly stupid!" she snapped, shaking her head with an irritable sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose to calm herslef down.

"In any case," she spoke up after about a minute, which was pretty fast for one of her miny tantrums "I need you to get some Elf Bark from the apothecary so I can brew an antidote for the little idiot, I'm fresh out."

"Elfbark…" Piccolo muttered, memorizing the name, recognizing it as a type of bark with anti-magical properties used in many potions as he stepped out of the water, picking up the cloak Porlyusica had given him to hide his features from while in public and pulling it over his shoulders "Anything else?"

"See that you're back before curfew." Porlyusica ordered, looking the Namekian in the eye with a stern expression that meant she wasn't joking around as she tossed him a small money pouch to pay for the bark "I'll lock you out if you're so much as a minute late!"

"Right…" Piccolo muttered, the Namek tying the pouch securely to his obi, honestly not that concerned with the curfew since he was used to camping out, so to speak, ever since he was a child. He certainly couldn't see himself living under a roof all day like humans "Keep your dentures in, I'll be back."

* * *

_As Piccolo takes off..._

"Little Brat…" Porlyusica glowered, glaring up as the Namekian took off, disappearing over the treetops as he flew off towards Magnolia town to visit the apothecary. If you looked REALLY close however, it was possible to see a hint of motherly concern in the woman's eyes before she scoffed and marched back to her home.

"Dentures indeed," she muttered, munching on an apple she'd stashed under her cloak to give to the namek, only to forget about it as she watched his training "I haven't had a trip to the dentist in years!"

She had to admit, the last year had been quite the experience for her. She'd never met someone as intriguing and aggravating as Piccolo, though Markarov still held the top spot for things that made her blood boil.

"Honestly…" she sighed, shaking her head at the memory of her earlier meeting with the dwarfish Guild Master and Natsu Dragneel, the cheeky little bugger that had not only thought it a good idea to challenge Laxus, easily ten years his senior, to a fight, but to assume that his Dragonslayer abilities allowed him to consume attacks other than his own element.

Needless to say, the boy was SHOCKED to learn he'd literally bitten off far more than he could chew...or stomach as the case may be.

'Were it anyone else they'd have been fired from the inside out…' Porlyusica sighed, shaking her head at the recklessness of youths today 'Teaching Dragon slaying magic to children…what on earth are those overgrown lizards thinking?'

* * *

_Magnolia Town, Apothecary street..._

Piccolo scowled beneath his hood as he walked down the streets of Magnolia town, trying to avoid coming into contact with any of the bustling populace.

While he wasn't as antisocial as Porlyusica, he simply left the area if it got too crowded, rather than go on a rampage like the healer was prone to, the Namek wasn't entirely comfortable in crowds, knowing from experience that people tended to over-react to whatever they didn't understand, and a bald, green skinned kid was about as incomprehensible as it got with him.

Still, one of the benefits of being a city with a Wizards Guild was that the citizens of Magnolia were used to outlandishly dressed, or underdressed, people walking the streets, and so simply brushed the cloaked child aside as another member of the guild and let him go on his way.

Not that this made the Namek any more comfortable mind you. He'd just as soon leave without the damned bark and incur Porlyusica's wrath than willingly stay a moment longer than he had to, and so he weaved his way through the streets of the town towards his destination, the local apothecary.

"Good Afternoon sir!" the man called out, smiling politely, rather than the typical tradesman smile that his competitors employed, only to blink as he realized he wasn't facing the customer, but the air above him "Oh!" he exclaimed, looking down at the cloaked child over the edge of the counter "You're Porlyusica-san's helper, right?"

"I need Elfbark." Piccolo muttered, the reborn Namekian looking the elderly, younger than Roshi had been at least, man in the eye from beneath the oversized cowl of his hood, irked that he had to actually tilt his head up to do so, being used to staring DOWN at people, not the other way round "You got any?"

"Elfbark?" the man repeated, hissing between his teeth with a flinch as he rubbed the back of his head "So sorry there son, but we're fresh out of that." He revealed, gesturing to the empty slot on the wall "I can order some in fresh, but it'll take a while."

"Don't bother." Piccolo countered, the reborn Namekian flinching in anticipation of what Porlyusica's reaction to this, completely avoidable setback, was likely be "How long would it take to get a hold of some?"

"About a week." The shopkeeper admitted, stroking his neatly trimmed beard in thought, his eyes closed behind his glasses as he nodded in thought "Gotta import it in from the west side, it's the only place the stuff grows."

"Good to know…" Piccolo noted, the cowled namekian nodding his head in understanding as he turned on his heel, only to pause, looking over his shoulder one last time as he stood in the doorway "Which way's that again?"

"Uh…west of here..." The elderly shopkeeper admitted in confusion, pointing to a large map that adorned the wall for emphasis, only to blink as Piccolo tossed several gold Jewels, the local currency, at the man, before slipping out the door without saying another word "Wonder what that was about?"

* * *

_Several minutes later..._

Since unassisted flight seemed to be a rare gift, even amongst wizards, Piccolo had to wait until he'd walked a fair distance from the town before attempting take off. The last thing he needed was to catch the eye of some local spell caster that would either challenge him to a duel, a race, or demand the Namek teach him how to do it, though considering the oddballs at Fairy Tail, the local guild, it was likely all THREE of the above could happen at the same time.

'Too much trouble…' Piccolo scowled, the wind blowing his hood back as he sped through the air, moving far slower than he was used to in his prime, but still faster than he'd been back when Raditz had first shown up. At this speed, he should reach his destination before the sun was at its apex, which would give him more than enough time to forage for the damned bark he needed to cure Porlyusica's patient and get the old woman off his back for a while.

'Having ONE mother was bad enough…' he muttered, smirking under his breath at the memory of the ever-nagging King Kai, otherwise known as North Kai, the self-proclaimed king of comedy 'At least King Kai never threatened me with a broom…just bad puns.'

Shuddering at the Northern, catfish-like Deity's twisted sense of humor, the young Namek twitched slightly, his hearing and Ki senses picking up something far below, a fading, flickering ki that seemed to call out to him pleadingly.

'Someone's in trouble…' he muttered, brows furrowing as he tried to get a lock on it's signature, making a mental note of the terrain so he could get back on track before changing direction and swooping down to investigate.

* * *

And I'll just leave off there for now.

Wendy: EH? But I didn't do anything yet!

Ghost Nappa: It's called foreshadowing kid, get used to it, he does it a lot.

Kyugan: Quiet you! *Seals Nappa in Ghost Trap* Also, for those of you wondering what Piccolo looks like right now, imagine Kid-Dende, only dressed in Kid Gohan's Saiyan and Namek outfit, with Garlick Jr's cloak covering his alien features from view.

Piccolo: Little runt might've been annoying...but DAMN if he didn't have good taste in cloaks.

Kyugan: And Pants, seriously, Bruce Banner would KILL to get the number of that kid's tailor.

Wendy: Who?

Piccolo: A nerd with temper issues and an EXTREME case of MPD. I thought he'd been De-Hulked permanently though?

Kyugan: Yeah, like THAT hasn't happened before. Trust me, Big Green and Grey will be back before you know it.

Wendy: But...I thought Piccolo-san was Big Green.

Piccolo: Don't you start.

Kyugan: Go ahead kid, he can't hurt you, you have teh Cuteness.

Piccolo: *powering up eye lazers* The same can't be said for YOU though.

Kyugan: *gulp* Read and Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Ow...note to self, eye lazers hurt.

Piccolo: That nancy boy Cyclops has NOTHING on me.

Nappa: *Still inside Ghost trap* PENIS~!

Piccolo: F-!-CK YOU, YOU...wait what the F-!-CK?

Kyugan: Piccolo, please! *Points to Wendy* There's a child present!

Piccolo: Oh please, I swore around Gohan all the time, never did him any harm.

*Flashback*

Chichi: *scrubbing a soapy scrubbing brush against Gohan's mouth* NO SON OF MINE WILL USE THAT LANGUAGE!

Goku: *Off to the side* Um, Chichi? Isn't that the toilet brush?

*End Flashback*

Piccolo: And besides, the floating cueball said 'penis', why wasn't he censored?

Kyugan: Penis isn't a swear word, heck it's the word kids are taught in SCHOOL.

Piccolo: You have got to be F-!-cking kidding me...

Wendy: *Innocent puppy eyes of doom* Piccolo-san, what's a penis?

Piccolo: *Sees Kyugan's afterimage hovering in the air* Oh you Bastard...hey! How come THAT wasn't censored either?

A note appears in mid-air, Piccolo grabs it and glares at it.

Note: I'm Irish, go figure, enjoy giving wendy 'The Talk' Big Green.

Piccolo: MUTHER F-!

* * *

Chapter 3: Wendy.

On a deserted road, far from modern civilization, a little girl staggered down the mountain path, covered in dirt and dressed in a simple cloth rag, her face a mask of sadness and loss.

Life, up until recently, had been fairly good for Wendy Marvel. True, she'd lost her parents as a child, but she'd been far too young to remember them anyways, so it mattered little to the girl, as by that point she'd been picked up by the Sky Dragon Grandine, who'd raised her like a daughter, passing on the secrets of her magic to the girl, teaching her to read, sing and dance, all the things a little girl could ever want.

But then Grandine had disappeared, so suddenly, and without a trace, almost as if she'd never existed in the first place, leaving little Wendy all alone in the world once more.

At first she'd thought it was a game, or that Grandine had gone off on one of her travels, as Dragons were wont to do. But the days turned into weeks, and the weeks to months, and finally, Wendy realized that the Dragon wasn't coming back.

So she'd set out, taking what little food she had with her and naught but the scrap of cloth she'd worn out of modesty to her name, hoping to find her adoptive parent, or at least someone that might know of her whereabouts, on her journey.

But the world was a bigger place than a child could ever possibly have imagined, and it had barely been a week before her food had run out. True she could survive simply by consuming the air around her, and Grandine had taught her to forage, but it didn't change the fact that she was all alone in the world, not a penny to her name, not a friend in the world, and without a clue as to where she was.

Finally, after going several days after looking for her draconic parent, the young girl had fallen, hurting her nose and knees on the unforgiving ground, her eyes welling up with tears as she sniffed in despair.

"Someone…" she sniffed, kneeling on the ground, her arms and legs covered with roadside dust as she wiped tears from her eyes with both hands "Anyone…please help me…!"

A faint rustle caught her attention, the distraught girl looking up, wincing as the sun struck her eyes, only to blink as someone apparently dropped out of the halo of light, his cloak fluttering around him like wings as he touched down before her, his features hidden by the shadow cast over his face, though she could make out pointy ears on either side of his head.

"Just a child…" the figure muttered, his voice sounding young, older than her at least, though with a hint of gravel, hinting he was nearing his teens "Hey kid," he called out "what are you doing out here?"

"I…I'm lost…" Wendy sniffled, her sadness giving way to intrigue as she gazed up at the mysterious young man that had apparently appeared out of thin air, her tears slowly coming to a halt as she blinked.

"I can see that." The boy noted, causing Wendy to flinch, mistaking his words to be ones of annoyance, only for him to tilt his head either way, as if looking for something "Where did you come from? I don't recall seeing any villages all the way out here…"

"I…didn't live in a village…" Wendy sniffed, rubbing her eyes as she continued to look up at the strange boy "I lived in the woods with Grandine…" she sniffed, eyes welling up again at the memory of the dragon's loss "At least…I used to…"

* * *

_Piccolo's POV..._

Piccolo was silent, mulling over the information he'd just received, giving the dusty, ragged little girl time wipe her eyes and nose before he spoke again "Sorry for your loss." He offered, his tone softer than before, though still decidedly gravelly as he looked down at her, arms crossed before him "So what are you doing out here?"

"I was looking for her…" the girl admitted, sniffing one last time as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand "She just disappeared without a word…when she didn't come back, I went looking for her…"

"So she's alive but you don't know where…" Piccolo muttered, the young namek's brow furrowing in thought as he frowned down at the girl, wondering if this was simply a case of bad parenting or childish flights of fancy "How do you know she didn't come back when you left?"

"Grandine NEVER left me alone." The girl insisted, and Piccolo could hear the truth in her words, courtesy of Kami's lifetime of experience, and his own experiences with Gohan "Even when I was asleep, she was always there, watching over me." She gripped the edge of her ragged sheet between her fingers "Something must have happened to her."

"More than likely…" Piccolo reasoned, looking off to the side, his eyes boring into the dense woodlands that surrounded the road on either side "These woods aren't known for being friendly, there's a good chance one of the local animals got her."

"But…Grandine wouldn't lose to a forest animal…" the child insisted, looking honestly confused at the very idea as she continued to look up at the Namek "There isn't anything living here that can beat a dragon."

"…Dragon?" Piccolo repeated, the pre-teen Namekian quirking one emerald brow as he turned to stare at the little girl in mounting disbelief "Hold up…" he muttered "you're saying you lived with a DRAGON?"

"Mhm!" the little girl nodded, her little head bobbing up and down for a few seconds, before halting to look him in the eyes, a pleased expression on her face "Grandine the Sky Dragon, she's really big, and pretty too!"

"I'll have to take your word for it…" Piccolo muttered, sweatdropping at the girl's use of words. He had no doubt that this Grandine, if she truly was a dragon, was big, probably even colossal going from his experiences, though he couldn't picture an overgrown lizard as 'Pretty', as the only examples of Dragons he had were Cymbal, Shenron and Porunga, and neither of those were particularly pleasing to the eye, save in the aesthetic sense.

'Never mind that for now…' he muttered, shaking his head to rid himself of the image of Shenron with lipstick and a feather boa, suppressing a shudder as the abomination winked at him before it vanished 'I need to get her out of here.'

"Hey…" the little girl in question called out, standing up and dusting her knees off as she looked up at the reborn Namekian, her saphire eyes wide and filled with innocence "Have you seen Grandine mister?"

"I'm not a mister," Piccolo sweatdropped, wondering what was it with little kids and being so damn polite around him, sure he wasn't Seven feet of badass, alien muscle anymore, but didn't he freak her out a little? "and sorry, but I haven't seen your Dragon."

"I see…" the girl noted, slumping in depression, her saphire eyes staring at the ground between them sadly, before looking up at the Namekian, flled with curiousity "You were flying earlier…are you a mage mister?"

"Something like that I suppose." Piccolo admitted, theNamekian idly wondering if there was even a term for ki users on this planet, only to frown down at her once more "and for the last time it's not Mister. Call me Piccolo."

* * *

_Wendy's Point of View..._

"Piccolo?" Wendy repeated, putting one finger on her lips and tilting her head to the side adorably, looking like a little lost kitten for some reason "That's a strange name…" she mused, only to smile up at the Namekian cheerfully, "My name's Wendy, Wendy Marvel," she introduced, offering him a slight bow "it's nice to meet you, Piccolo-san!"

"Sure." Piccolo muttered, his tone gruff, almost dismissive, though in actuality, the reborn namek was simply putting up a front, trying not to be drawn in by how closely the little girl resembled Gohan when they'd first met, so soft, vulnerable, and alone "Now come on," he ordered, turning on his heel to walk off "you're coming with me."

"Ah! Wait!" Wendy called out, her little legs moving frantically as she hurried to match the Namek's longer stride, looking up at him with a smile as she fell in step alongside him, only to blink as she got a better look at his face without the sun obscuring her view.

"Something on my face kid?" Piccolo asked wryly, the reborn Namekian smirking a little at her enawed expression, the tip of one pointed tooth visible as he looked down at her, glad to see SOME reaction at last.

"Piccolo-san…are you feeling alright?" Wendy asked, the little girl looking on in concern as the Namekian face faulted, having not expected THAT particular reaction "Um…if you're feeling sick I can use magic to help…"

"I'M FINE!" Piccolo snapped, more than a little peeved at the girl's reaction. He'd been half expecting her to quail in fear, or faint from shock at the sight of his clearly alien features, in truth, some guilty part of him was half hoping she'd pass out from the shock, but he shook such thoughts aside as the girls word's caught up with him "Wait, you said you know magic?"

"Um…yes?" Wendy stammered, a little unnerved by the Namekian's intense stare as he looked into her eyes "Grandine taught me how to heal people and relieve sickness," she admitted, lowering her gaze shyly "it's Sky Dragon Magic."

"That's pretty rare…" Piccolo admitted aloud, holding his chin in thought. Healing, true magical healing that is, not the potions and poultices that Porlyusica utilized, was considered one of the ancient lost magics. For a little girl like this to possess such a rare gift, learned from a DRAGON of all things…Piccolo didn't want to think what would happen if someone unscrupulous learned of Wendy's talents.

A sneeze brought the Nameks thoughts back to the source of his problems, looking down to see Wendy shivering as a light breeze washed over them, her little rag providing little protection from the elements.

"Hold still…" he muttered, holding out a hand, covering the confused little girl's head, before gritting his teeth and focusing, Wendy's eyes widening as his power washed over her, looking on in amazement as her body seemed to glow, followed by a brief flash of light that blinded her for a second.

"There we go…" Piccolo noted, removing his hand and smirking at his handiwork as Wendy blinked, her eyes widening as she realized she was now wearing what looked like a long white robe with a sleeveless coat, and her feet were now covered in strange boots, identical Piccolo's own (Dende's first outfit from Namek) "That should feel a little better."

"Wow!" Wendy marveled, the little girl picking at her robe with an amazed expression on her cute little face, marvelling at it's lightness and texture, before looking up at the Namek with stars dancing in her eyes "That was amazing!"

"Saves on tailoring and dry cleaning too." Piccolo joked, only to snort as it washed right over the little girl's head "Now come on," he ordered, stepping into the woods "I need to pick something up and then you're coming with me."

"H-Hai!" Wendy complied, the little girl jogging after the Namek pre-teen, marveling all the while at the softness of her new clothes, and the comfort her new shoes provided, as she moved to catch up with her new friend "What are we looking for, Piccolo-san?"

"Elf bark." Piccolo muttered, the pre-teen Namekian scowling as he realized he didn't actually KNOW what the damned stuff looked like, or even what tree it grew on 'Damn,' he swore, cursing himself for his lack on foresight 'should've thought of that in the first place…'

"Elf Bark?" Wendy wondered, the little girl blinking at the familliar term, putting a finger to her lip as she thought, before tapping her palm with her fist "Ah! I know!" she exclaimed "The trees where Grandine and I used to live have lots of that!"

"That right?" Piccolo wondered, quirking a brow at the little girl, smirking in response to her energetic smile "Alright then, hop on kid."

Wendy blinked, looking up at the Namek in confusion, only to gasp as he scooped her up under one arm, letting out a cry of surprise as he leapt up, and kept on GOING up, before stopping several hundred feet above the forest canopy, the entire countryside stretching out as far as the eye could see.

"Nice view huh?" Piccolo asked, smirking down at her as she blinked, looking up at him in amazement "Might wanna close you mouth there kid, you'll catch flies."

Wendy's mouth snapped shut with an adorable click, her eyes wide as she gazed up at the pre-teen namek in awe. "So cool!" she exclaimed, her eyes locked onto his features as he surveyed the forest before them "You're so cool, Piccolo-san!"

"I am aren't I?" Piccolo snorted wryly, the pre-teen Namekian amused despite himself at the child's fascination, before jostling her slightly "Now which way is this Grandine's nest? Can you tell where it is from here?"

"Yep!" Wendy chirped, beaming up at him adorably as she pointed somewhere roughly north east of where they'd met "It's that way." She insisted "Grandine used to take me flying all the time too, I can tell everything WAY better from up here!"

"Good to know." Piccolo noted, tightening his grip on the girl under his arm before powering up, blasting forwards through the air, Wendy's cheers and cries of 'Faster' met with a wry smirk and the Namek doing just that.

* * *

_Grandine and Wendy's Home..._

"So this is a dragon's lair is it?" Piccolo muttered, the pre-teen Namekian eyeing the massive clearing set before a giant cave, all of which showed signs of being occupied by something BIG until fairly recently, with a hint of disappointment "Somehow I was expecting a little more…"

"Grandine always used to tell me that those old legends about Dragons and treasure were just fairy tales told by humans with overactive imaginations." Wendy insisted, the little girl standing at the Namek's side as she looked upon her abandoned home with a solemn expression.

"She's got a point I suppose…" Piccolo admitted with a small frown, sweatdropping at such complicated words coming out of the mouth of a child "I sure as hell can't see what use a pile of gold is to a giant, fire breathing lizard."

"Grandine isn't a lizard!" Wendy insisted, looking up at the Namek with a frown that was more adorable than intimidating "And she doesn't breath fire," she corrected "that's Igneel-san, the Fire Dragon. Grandine is the Sky Dragon, she uses Sky magic."

"Right…" Piccolo muttered, only half listening as he eyed the clearing, looking for any signs that a giant, winged behemoth of scales and fangs and claws wasn't about to drop in on him from concealment. From what little he'd heard of Dragons, both from Kami's memories of ancient legends, and the aged tomes Porlyusica occasionally let him read, the winged reptiles were noted for being highly territorial, and short tempered to boot.

"There!" Wendy noted, tugging excitedly on Piccolo's cloak whilst pointing to a cluster of trees at the far end of the clearing "Those are the trees! Grandine told me that Elf Bark has various healing properties, particularly for magical ailments." She looked up at the Namek in concern "Are you sure your not sick, Piccolo-san?"

"It's not for ME kid." Piccolo assured her, repressing the urge to growl as he stepped towards the trees, though he did feel one brow tick in annoyance "The old woman I stay with needs it for a patient of hers…"

"Oh!" Wendy exclaimed, the little girl looking up at the pre-teen Namek in surprise, her hands coming up to cover her mouth, even as her saphire her eyes trembled with concern for whoever the poor patient was "Is it bad?"

"He tried to swallow a lightning attack." Piccolo admitted, only half paying attention to the girl as he began to peel the bark off the trees in a way that wouldn't undermine their growth, something he'd picked up from Porlyusica's journals and Nail's memories from his childhood "He's alive, but I doubt he'll try that again in a hurry."

"Ate a lightning attack?" Wendy repeated, her saphire eyes blinking in confusion, only to widen in sudden realization as she took one hesitant step towards the Namekian "Piccolo-san...is he...a Dragonslayer too?"

"Dragonslayer?" Piccolo repeated, pausing in his harvesting as he thought back to the conversation with Porlyusica earlier that day "Yeah I think that's what the old hag called him…" he turned to look at the girl "Wait, what do you mean 'too'? You're saying YOU'RE a dragon slayer? I thought you learned Sky Dragon Magic from Grandine?"

"That's right." Wendy repeated, pointing at herself with a confused expression on her face "Dragonslayer magic is magic used by Dragons in combat," she explained, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world "Grandine taught me, so that makes me the Sky Dragonslayer."

'A dragon teaching a child magic designed to slay dragons?' Piccolo repeated, a bead of sweat sliding down the back of his head as he stared at the girl, having never heard of such an absurd arrangement in his entire life 'Sounds a bit off to me…'

Shaking his head, the Namek turned back to the task at hand, stepping away from the trees after several more minutes, laying the harvested bark in Wendy's helpful arms as he stood back, holding his arms wide and materializing a corked jar within which to store his harvest of Elf Bark, much to Wendy's amazement once more.

Once the bark had been stored away in the jar, which Piccolo tucked under his arm, the Namekian scooped up Wendy in his other arm and blasted out of the clearing, heading back due east towards Magnolia.

* * *

_During the trip back..._

"Piccolo-san?" Wendy asked, the little girl looking up from watching the countryside blur past them, amazed at how fast they were going, to gaze up at the pre-teen Namek's face "Where are we going?"

"To a forest just outside of Magnolia town." Piccolo revealed, his eyes locked dead ahead as he blasted through the air, a little slower than he'd prefer, not wanting to injure the girl tucked securely under his arm "I need to deliver this bark to the old hag, she can figure out what to do with you from there."

"But…" Wendy began, the little Dragonslayer looking up at the Namekian pre-teen imploringly, her saphire eyes wide with a sudden sense of fear and apprehension "Aren't we...going to stay together?"

"Sorry kid…" Piccolo offered, his tone apologetic, wincing as he realized that, having just been abandoned, the girl must fear being left alone again "The old hag isn't one for human company. The only reasons she keeps ME around is because I ain't human."

"Not human?" Wendy repeated, the fear vanishing from her eyes as she looked up at the green skinned, antenna sporting pre-teen with a curious expression "Are you an elf?" she asked, her eyes widening as Piccolo snorted "Ah! I know!" she exclaimed, tapping her palm with her little fist "You're a fairy!"

Piccolo baulked, damn near falling out of the air from the sheer absurdity of the girl's statement, only to pull up before he'd dropped half way, righting himself with a grunt as he glared down at the alarmed little girl "DO I LOOK LIKE A FAIRY TO YOU?"

"I'm sorry!" Wendy apologized, the little girl wincing at the look of anger on his face, wondering if she'd just insulted her new friend "It's just, no-one's ever seen a fairy before…" she muttered, looking up at him for emphasis "some people say they don't exist…"

"I'm a Namekian." Piccolo growled out, though it was in a calmer tone, his anger having faded in the face of the girl's apologetic expression, and truth be told he couldn't really stay mad a a child for making a wrong assumption or two "Or a Namek if you prefer."

"A namekian?" Wendy repeated, looking up at the pre-teen with a look of enawed confusion on her cute little face that'd give diabetic's nightmares "Grandine never mentioned those in her stories, are there more of you?"

"Not that I know of…" Piccolo muttered, turning back towards Magnolia and picking up the pace once again "Not around these parts anyways."

Wendy's eyes widened, only to soften, one tiny hand reaching out to pat the pre-teen Namek's hand soothingly, causing him to look down into a pair of eyes filled with sympathy and understanding.

The journey back to Porlyusica's home was carried out in silence, Piccolo deciding to take the scenic route back to avoid flying directly over Magnolia, pointing out landmarks to the curious Wendy as they passed it by.

* * *

_Porlyusica's home..._

"Let me get this straight…" Porlyusica muttered, a vein pulsing on her brow as she stood before Piccolo, who was meditating outside her house, Wendy already tucked into the healer's bed for the night "I send you out to get elf bark…and you bring me a CHILD?"

"I got you the damn bark didn't I?" Piccolo muttered, the Namekian's eyes closed as he hovered in mid-air, honing his ki through mental exercises "What was I supposed to do? Just leave her to die out there?"

"You should have taken her to any village and left her there!" Porlyusica snapped, brandishing her broomstick threateningly in the Namek's general direction "Anything would've been better than bringing her here-!"

"She's a Dragonslayer." Piccolo pointed out, cutting off the aged Healer's tirade off before she could build up a head of steam, one eye opening to glare up at the woman "Apparently she uses Sky Dragon magic, healing magic."

"A healer?" Porlyusica blinked, turning her head to look at Wendy, who was secured under the heavy cover of the woman's bed "She's so young…even that brat Markarov picked up's older than her…"

"I figured it was safer to bring her HERE than to leave her with another village." Piccolo muttered, "Healing's a rare enough gift that if anyone ever learned of her, they'd track her down and do Kami only knows what…" he tilted his head towards the slumbering form within "at least this way she can have some semblance of a normal life."

"And here I thought humans were the irresponsible ones…" Porlyusica sighed, the old woman shaking her wrinkled head as she gazed heavenwards "Mataku…just what goes through the minds of those blasted lizards?"

"Who knows…" Piccolo muttered, turning back to look at the aged healer "What I want to know is what we're to do with the kid, you want me to drop her off at Markarov's guild tomorrow, right?"

"DON'T GO PUTTING WORDS IN MY MOUTH!" Porlyusica snapped, moving to swat the Namek with her broomstick, only for Piccolo to catch it easily before it came near "Though I suppose that's the best bet…Healer or not her style's too different from mine, and having one freeloader is more than enough for me."

"After everything you have me do around here you STILL consider me a freeloader?" Piccolo demanded, the Namekian pre-teen quirking an emerald brow as he released her broomstick, which the healer drew back with a huff.

"Grandine…" a voice from within called out, the duo pausing in their bickering as Wendy tossed and turned beneath the blanket, her features lined with sadness, and tears forming at the edge of her trembling eyes "Mama…"

"Poor thing…" Porlyusica sighed, looking up as Piccolo lowered his legs to the ground, the Namek walking into her house with a frown on his face, coming to a halt at the child's bedside, reaching out with one three fingered hand, placing it on girl's head. Almost immediately, Wendy's trembling stopped, her features easing once more at this simple gesture, falling back into a gentle slumber.

"Rest up kid." Piccolo muttered, the reborn Namekian stroking the little girl's short, dark blue hair one last time, before turning on his heel and walking out the door, where Porlyusica stood with a neutral expression.

"Piccolo-san…" Wendy murmured in her sleep, a small smile on her face as she rolled over so her back was to the door "…Namek Fairy…"

Piccolo slipped, face faulting right into one of Porlyusica's apple crates, the healer so stunned by the combination of the girl's words that she could do nothing but gape at the pair, Piccolo's leg twitching spasmodically in the air as smoke trailed off him.

* * *

_The night sky above the forest..._

Unbeknownst to Porlyusica and Piccolo, who even now was pulling himself out of the crate, muttering curses about kids with overactive imaginations, a third part watched over the little group from high in the air.

'How very interesting…' the orb of light mused, humming to itself in amused intrigue as it gazed down at the sour faced Namekian 'I've never seen something like this before…looks like you've made some interesting friends…Wendy-chan…'

So saying, the sphere of light receded from view, vanishing like a shooting star before Piccolo, who'd sensed something above them, could look up to see what was going on, ignoring Porlyusica's ranting to clean up her spilled apples.

* * *

And so ends Wendy's introduction!

Wendy: YAY!

Kyugan: Ah, Wendy! I see you survived 'The Talk'!

Wendy: Mhmm! Piccolo-san told me all about where babies come from!

Kyugan: Wha-really?

Wendy: *Beams up at Kyugan* They hatch from eggs!

Kyugan: *Facefaults as Piccolo walks in, arms crossed and smirking* DAMMIT PICCOLO!

Piccolo: What?You said give her 'The Talk'. S'not my fault you humans do it differently.

Wendy: *Cute expression* Mm? What's he mean, Kyugan-san?

Kyugan: *Glaring up at Piccolo* I LOATHE You...

Piccolo: Whatever *turns to camera* While the idiot's filling Wendy in, you lot send in reviews, cause I ain't working por-bono!

Ghost Nappa: Reviews are our bread and butter...mmm...butterfinger...

Piccolo: How in the hell can you eat that?

Ghost Nappa: Like this! *Takes a bite, only for his teeth to pass through it, causing him to grip the sides of his head in horror* NOOOOOOOOOO~!


	4. Chapter 4

This one's a little early cause Wendy rocks like that.

Piccolo & Ghost Nappa: Yes she does.

Wendy: Aww, thank you all! *Hugs Piccolo*

Kyugan: Hey? Don't 'I' Get a hug too?

Wendy: *Still hugging Piccolo's leg* Grandine said never to hug older men.

Kyugan: You're hugging Piccolo!

Wendy: Piccolo's a Namek, not a man.

Piccolo: *Sarcastically* Thanks kid, Really.

Ghost Nappa: PEEEENIIIIS~!

Piccolo: Seriously man, F-!-ck You.

Ghost Nappa: You couldn't even if I swang that way!

Piccolo: *Growls*

* * *

Chapter 4: Fairy Tail.

Wendy awoke with a yawn, sitting up in Porlyusica's bed with a stretch, rubbing the remnants of sleep out of her eyes as she looked around the neat, cozy home of the aged healer.

"Awake are you?" Porlyusica called out, the healer sitting at the table, her back to the girl as she ground herbs in her mortar, no doubt working on a mixture for some foul potion that would no doubt heal just as well as it tasted foul "You slept through breakfast."

"Sorry…" Wendy offered, wiping sleep out of her eyes as she spoke, whilst wincing at the woman's tone. Despite Piccolo's reassurances, the young Dragonslayer was still a little uncertain about how to act around the elderly healer, having witnessed her explosive temper over the course of the previous evening, when she'd railed on Piccolo for being late, despite the sun only beginning to set, only to usher her in, feed her a warm bowl of porridge with honey, before giving her a bath and tucking her into her own bed.

Needless to say, Porlyusica was a woman that was significantly harder to comprehend than her peers.

Wendy yawned again, only to blink as something was tossed in her direction, her hand coming up to catch it awkwardly, looking down at the fresh red apple that she held in her hand in surprise.

"HEY!" Porlyusica snapped, Wendy looking up to follow the old woman's irate glare to the doorway, where a familiar green and pink shoulder was visible, the owner sitting cross-legged in mid-air, back to the house "Don't go giving away other people's things!" the healer railed, only to seethe as she was effectively ignored "Cocky little-!"

"Piccolo-san!" Wendy greeted, the young Sky Dragonslayer sitting up straighter in bed as she beamed at her new, green-skinned friend, or rather, what little she could see of his form through the doorway "Good morning."

"Morning kid." Piccolo returned, ignoring Porlyusica altogether, though he didn't turn to look at the girl either, simply remaining in his meditative pose, four feet off the ground and with his back to the wall "Eat that up and then go wash and dress…" he instructed, his tone calm and commanding "I'm taking you to your new home today."

"Eh?" Wendy exclaimed, the young Dragonslayer pausing in the act of chomping down on the apple, looking between the two in surprise "But Piccolo-san…" she stammered, looking to the Namek in confusion "aren't I staying with you?"

"S'not my house kid." Piccolo countered, tilting his head slightly over his shoulder in Porlyusica's general direction "The old woman lets me stick around so long as I do chores now and then. You wanna stay, it's up to HER."

"Don't go painting me as the bad guy!" the Healer snapped, hurling her mortar at the Namek, who tilted his head out of the way, catching the mixture in mid-flight and setting it gently on the grass at his side, "In any case," she sighed, looking to a startled Wendy with a calmer expression "It's not safe for a little girl around these parts." she insisted, doing her best to resist the girl's 'lost puppy' stare "An…acquaintance of mine…runs a Wizard Guild in the town not too far from here." She winced at the memory of Markarov's idiotic laughter and perverted antics "He'll put you up, and there will be kids your own age there to play with."

"Really?" Wendy wondered, her blue eyes widening at the prospect of making friends her own age, only to look downcast, her eyes flicking towards Piccolo's silent form once more, a wistful expression on her face "But…"

"There's another Dragonslayer staying there as well." Piccolo reminded the girl, still not turning to face the pair inside the house, so he missed Wendy's eyes widening in stunned recollection, though he heard her breath hitch in surprise "Remember? The one we got the Elfbark for?"

"He's a little older than you, but I'm certain you'll make fast friends." Porlyusica insisted, patting the girl on the shoulder, only to frown as she noticed the trembling of her shoulders and the uncertainty in her features.

"…Alright…" Wendy conceded, lowering her head to stare at her apple with a saddened expression, slowly lifting the fruit to her lips to eat, though at a much slower pace from last night.

Porlyusica's concerned frown deepened, watching the saddened little girl munch away at the fruit, taking far too long, especially when you considered the voracious appetites of Dragonslayers.

Outside the house, Piccolo's eyes opened, a matching frown on his own face as his ears caught the minute sniffles that Wendy let out between bites, far too low for any human to hear, but like little daggers to the Namekian's body as he listened to them throughout her meager breakfast.

* * *

_Several hours later..._

Since it wasn't that far a walk, Piccolo opted to lead Wendy to Magnolia town on foot, the two of them taking the rarely used road that Porlyusica traversed whenever she needed to venture into the town for anything, something the old hag had been getting out of by having Piccolo do the legwork for her these days.

The walk was carried out in silence, the two of them walking with Wendy's small hand held in Piccolo's three fingered one, the Namek's features concealed once again beneath his thick, hooded cloak that Porlyusica insisted he wear whenever running errands in the town. On the one hand, it annoyed the hell out of him that he had to use the damned thing. On the other, this one was technically different, in that he'd created it using his materialization technique, so it was technically a hooded version of his old cape, without the shoulder pads.

He'd started using weighted clothing again shortly before he and Wendy had ever met, and had to admit it was humbling how much pressure the cloak put him under. Back in the old days, this weight would've been nothing, but then again, he doubted his old self could have supported the same amount of weight at his current age, so it worked both ways really.

Wendy was once again dressed in the Namekian clothes he'd made for her, the little girl's free hand clenching at the side of her robe as they walked through the woods, refusing to look up at him, though she did occasionally look up to take in her surroundings, particularly whenever something cute of pretty made an appearance.

Eventually though, the grass gave way to cobblestones and the trees gave way to buildings, and the pair made their way down the bustling streets of Magnolia, avoiding the attention of street vendors in favor of weaving through the streets, pausing only occasionally to witness the occasional street performers, all wizards mainly, that were on display.

"This is it." Piccolo instructed, the Namek finally coming to a halt before the gates of a two-story building with the Banner 'Fairy Tail' stretched over the doorway, indicating it as the guild Porlyusica's 'acquaintance', Markarov, was the Guild Master for "You ready?" he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly so he could look down at the girl from within his hood.

"I suppose…" Wendy murmured, though she didn't look up at him, and her fingers tightened ever so slightly around the Namek's own, her shoulders trembling beneath the clothes he'd provided her with, looking for all the world like she was about to burst into tears.

Piccolo said nothing, merely looked down at the girl, before squeezing her fingers slightly in a gesture he'd learned from Gohan was encouraging "You know…" he muttered, not looking at her as he spoke "It isn't like we're on the other side of the world." He pointed out, causing Wendy to blink up at him cutely "What I'm saying is, I'm sure the old hag won't mind the occasional visit when you're not off on missions or whatever…"

Wendy blinked once, twice, before joy blossomed on her face, like a sunflower opening to greet the new day, rubbing her cheek into the Namekian's side as she hugged his leg, tears of joy running down her face.

"Alright, ease up there kid…" Piccolo muttered, a little embarrassed despite the warm feeling the young Dragonslayer's concern inspired, freeing himself from her hold and kneeling down to ruffle her hair, accepting one last hug, before getting to his feet and stepping away from the door "You take care now, y'hear?"

"Hai!" Wendy cheered, the young Dragonslayer nodding her head and beaming up at the Namek as he took off, so intent on waving after the retreating figure that she didn't notice as the giant doors opened to reveal a diminutive, some might call dwarfish, man with a staff, decked out in in an orange jacket and shorts over a white T-shirt with the Fairy Tail crest, a blue and orange hat with two tails on his head "Ja ne! Piccolo-san!"

"Oho?" the old man wondered, looking at the startled girl with an intrigued expression, as she gaped at him in surprise "And what brings you here so early in the day child?"

"Eep!" Wendy exclaimed, the young Dragonslayer whipping round and bowing at the waist, her hands over her knees as she'd been taught "G-Good Day sir!" she greeted "My name is W-Wendy Marvel…Porlyusica-san sent me here to join up!"

_

* * *

__Markarov'spoint of view..._

"Did she now?" Markarov noted, the aged Guild master looking the strangely dressed little girl before him over carefully, stroking his moustache as he did so.

Wendy flinched, standing up straighter as the Guild Master's surprisingly solemn eyes roamed over her, lingering on her eyes for a few seconds, as if trying to peer into her soul to gauge her worth, the young Dragonslayer letting out a sigh of relief after he ceased his examinations after a few moments of silent contemplation, beaming up at her with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Well this is certainly a surprise," Markarov noted, his solemn attitude from earlier replaced with an air of elderly mischief "to think Ol Porly would send little ol' me such a fine young lady in the making!" he beamed at the girl as she blushed at the compliment, his eyes twinkling in a teasing, grandfatherly fashion "So then, Wendy-chan." He prodded, standing tall before her, despite her being at least half a foot taller "think you have what it takes to join Fairy Tail do you?"

"H-Hai!" Wendy replied, the young Dragonslayer standing tall as she looked the diminutive man in the eye, as Piccolo had instructed her earlier prior to their leaving Porlyusica's home "I won't let you down, sir!"

"Relax child." Markarov instructed, though he did chuckle at her enthusiasm and manners, which were an increasing rarity in today's youths "This isn't the Rune Knights headquarters." He pointed out, smiling at the girl reassuringly as she blushed once more, "My name is Markarov," he introduced, one hand behind his back "I'm the Guild Master here, but you can just call me Gramps if that's too much for you."

"Hey Gramps!" a boisterous voice called out, Wendy's eyes widening in surprise as a berry-headed pre-teen stuck his head out from behind the door to peer over the diminuitive Guild Master's shoulder curiously "What's going on?"

"Haven't I taught you not to eavesdrop, Natsu?" Markarov warned, slamming the top of his staff into the kid's face with an exasperated sigh, Wendy looking on in alarm as the teen rolled about on the floor, holding his nose "and that goes for all of you!" Markarov barked over his shoulder, causing Wendy to blink as she heard several people flinch from the other side of the doors.

"Mataku…" another voice muttered, a second figure, this time a dark boy, the same age as Natsu, stepping out from behind the door, Wendy's eyes widening as she espied his state, or lack rather, of dress "Way to go, matchstick, not only did you wreck our cover, you probably spooked the kid."

"I DID NOT!" Natsu yelled, the berry-headed pre-teen leaping to his feet and getting in the other boy's face, sparks flying between them as they glared "She's more likely to be scared of YOU, you PERVERT!"

"Who you calling pervert you walking bonfire?" the other teen demanded, and irate scowl on his face as he grabbed the front of Natsu's jacket and pulled him close, the two of them literally in each other's faces by now.

"Gray…" an exasperated voice sighed, Wendy turning to see the speaker, a pretty girl in a skirt and sleeveless, backless top, her long brown hair done up in a ponytail pointing at the other boy in exasperation "Your clothes…"

"Huh?" Gray wondered, the dark haired boy releasing the front of Natsu's jacket as he gaped down at himself, eyes widening in horror as he realized he was only wearing boxers "AW CRAP! NOT AGAIN!"

"You sicken me…" Natsu muttered, an expression of absolute disgust on the berry-head's face as he watched Gray freak out, the two of them quickly rounding on one another once again, only to be brought out of it when their foreheads were forcibly slammed together "OW!" he snapped, glaring up at the culprit "DAMMIT ERZA!"

"Honestly!" the culprit sighed, Wendy's eyes widening as she espied the pretty, redheaded girl that had slammed their heads together. She wore an armored breastplate over what appeared to be a blouse, skirt and stockings. Her scarlet hair was tied up in a braided tail at the back of her head, and a sheathed cutlass hung at her side.

"Can't you two ever get along for five minutes?" Erza demanded "You're scaring the poor girl!" she insisted, before turning to Wendy, holding out a hand and smiling at the younger girl encouragingly "Don't mind those two," She assured her "they're really close friends, they just like to play rough."

"WE ARE NOT FRIENDS!" Natsu and Gray bellowed in unison, the berry-bead's tongue looking like a flickering flame, before realizing what they'd just said and getting in each other's faces once again "QUIT COPYING ME!"

"Can't you keep a handle on your underlings, Erza?" a confident voice demanded, Wendy's eyes widening as another older girl, this one with Silver hair and a HIGHLY revealing outfit for her age, sauntered over, one hand on her angled hip, the other resting casually at her side as she smirked at the redhead "Honestly, you'd think you'd broken them in by now."

"What was that?" Erza demanded, Wendy shivering at the look in the redheaded, older girl's eyes as her right hand went to the cutlass sheathed at her waist "You trying to start something, Mirajane?"

"Neechan…" a nervous voice cautioned, a large boy in a blue school uniform with a red bow tie sauntering up behind the silver haired girl, Mirajane according to Erza, his own shock of hair the same shade, leading Wendy to believe he was the older girl's younger brother "Please don't start this again…"

"Oh grow up Elfman…" Mirajane muttered, though her tone was without any venom, and her features softened as she frowned at her younger sibling "Honestly," she sighed, hands on her hips as she stared down at the boy, who lowered his gaze "you need to be more assertive!"

"You're more than assertive enough for all three of us, Neechan…" Elfman muttered, only to flinch as he realized he's spoken aloud, looking up to see Mirajane quirking an eyebrow at him and bowing his head "Gomen!"

"Mira-nee!" a third voice called out, Wendy looking past the crowd as yet another silver haired girl, this one around the same age as Natsu, Gray, and the pony tailed brunette, ran up to stand before Mirajane, pouting slightly "Mou! Picking fights again?"

"I wasn't fighting." Mirajane countered, the Silver haired pre-teen smirking confidently as she sneered at a scowling Erza over her bare shoulder "I only pick fights with people that can fight back."

"You want to test me?" Erza demanded, Natsu and Gray, who'd recovered from being flattened by Markarov by now, backing away from her with a look of terror as an aura of DOOM surrounded her, the redhead's sword slowly sliding out of it's sheath as she spoke.

"You want to be tested?" Mirajane countered, turning to sneer at the redhead, an equally impressive aura surrounding the silver haired girl as she held up one arm, which developed the trademark pattern of a Take-Over, Elfman and their younger sibling backing away hurriedly, though the girl looked more exasperated than nervous.

"ENOUGH!" Markarov bellowed, Wendy's eyes widening as the once dwarfish man suddenly towered over the entire group, his face like some wrathful deity's "SETTLE DOWN OR IT'S SPANKINGS FOR THE LOT OF YOU!" he commanded, one table-sized hand raised for emphasis.

* * *

_After Markarov's bellow..._

Mirajane and Erza flinched, looking each other in the eye, as if considering refusing the old man's order, only to sigh, their magical aura's vanishing, Erza's sword returning fully to it's sheath while Mira's arm lost the checkered pattern of the Take-Over, the two of them turning their backs on each other with a huff.

"You got lucky…" Mirajane muttered, the silver haired older girl stalking off with her head held high, her hands on her hips as she made her way inside the guild "We'll finish this when the Master isn't around to save your hide."

"Same to you." Erza replied, her features neutral, though you could detect the hint of anger if you looked deep enough, before turning to face the towering giant with an apologetic expression "My apologies Master…I lost my temper…"

"Happens to the best of us, Erza-chan." Markarov assured the redhead, the old man reverting to his dwarfish form, one hand behind his back, the other holding his staff "Still, it wasn't entirely your fault," he admitted, one eye peeking out at Mirajane's retreating backside as she sauntered off "That Mira-chan's a feisty one."

"Sorry about that, Master…" Elfman stammered, the younger sibling of Mirajane rubbing the back of his head nervously as he looked down at the ground in shame "I should've tried harder to stop Neechan…"

"It's not your fault Elf-Niichan." The younger, silver haired girl opined, beaming up at her elder sibling encouragingly as she patted his hand "No-one but Master can keep Mira-nee and Erza-nee from going at it!"

"That's cause no-one else has a death wish…" Gray muttered, the boxer sporting teen wiping a cool sweat off his face with the end of Natsu's white, scale patterned scarf, much to the Berry-head's ire, the two of them looking ready to start off again, had Erza not pointedly glared in their general direction.

"In any case…" Markarov coughed, standing to his full height as he beckoned for Wendy to come stand beside him "Everyone, this is Wendy Marvel, and she's going to be a member of our guild from this day onward."

"What the heck Gramps?" a voice demanded, the group looking up to see an older boy with spiky blonde hair and spiked headphones walking up to them with his hands in his pockets and a quirked brow "You planning on turning this place into a daycare center?"

"Laxus!" Natsu yelled, the berry-head leaping to his feet, shoving an irate Gray off to the side as he clenched a fist, pointing up at the blonde's smirking face as he yelled "I challenge you to a rematch!"

"Dream on, firefly." Laxus scoffed, shaking his head dismissively "You only got back on your feet earlier this morning, I don't wanna put you in the hospital again because you were stupid enough to think you could eat my lightning TWICE."

"That was a fluke dammit!" Natsu insisted, the berry-head so enraged by the mocking, sarcastic tone the teenage blonde had spoken with that he missed the look of amazement on Wendy's young face as she gaped at him "I'll clean your clock this time!"

"Sorry," Laxus countered, walking past them all with a confident sneer "I'd love to pound you into the dirt some more, but I've got BETTER, more IMPORTANT things to do, like take REAL quests." He gave Markarov a quick salute "See you around gramps, try to keep your hands off the ladies while I'm away, 'kay?"

* * *

_As Laxus leavers..._

"Hey!" Natsu roared, moving to chase after the elder boy, only to be held by the combined efforts of Gray and Elfman, the elder boy putting the berry-head in a full nelson while Gray pushed on his chest "You running away from me!"

"That's enough, Natsu." Erza ordered, her tone low, but commanding, the scarlet haired, armor clad girl glaring out after the elder teen as he walked off "It's too soon for you now. Be patient, you'll get your chance."

Natsu scowled, only to let out a gruff 'feh' and relax, shrugging himself out of Elfman's embrace as the older boy released him, his arms crossed before his chest as he scowled after the retreating blonde "Whatever…"

"Excuse me…" Wendy spoke up, looking up at the elder boy with a nervous expression on her face as he turned to look at her "He said you tried to eat lightning…" she her eyes took on a hesitant, hopeful light "Are…are you a Dragonslayer?"

"Yep!" Natsu grinned, suddenly all smiles as he pointed at himself with his thumb, spiky teeth all on display as he grinned at her cheerfully "Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragonslayer, at your service!" he smiled at her "Your name's Wendy, right?"

"Such a show off." Gray muttered, the brunet ignoring Natsu's heated glare in favor of smiling encouragingly at the younger girl "Gray Fullbuster," he introduced, thumbing his chest "I use Ice Maker Magic."

"Watch yourself around that guy, Wendy-chan!" Natsu warned, the berry-head getting right down next to the girl's head to speak in a stage whisper in her ear "He's a pervert that keeps stripping for no reason!"

"You wanna become a strawberry pop, berry-head?" Gray demanded, the two rivals once again launching themselves across the hall at one another, much to the exasperation of almost everyone else.

"Those two…" the silver haired girl from earlier sighed, pouting as she huffed, before coming up beside Wendy with an embarrassed smile "Don't worry they always do this," she assured the younger girl "but Erza-nee usually makes them quiet down."

The scarlet haired girl promptly did so, her aura of DOOM suddenly returning as she loomed over the suddenly nervous pair, tapping her naked blade against her palm. "In any case…" the silver haired girl continued, holding out her hand to Wendy "Nice to meet you Wendy-chan, my name's Lisanna!"

"H-hai…" Wendy stammered, the Sky Dragonslayer a little surprised by the elder girl's friendliness as she accepted the offered hand with a nervous smile, listening in as Lisanna introduced the others.

"That's my elder brother, Elfman," Lisanna pointed out, the elder boy smiling shyly at the younger girl "He and I use Take-Over magic, just like our big sis, Mirajane." She nodded her head to the side, where the pony tailed Brunette stood "That's Cana-chan, she uses Card Magic…" she looked over her shoulder with a frown "And you've met Laxus, he's the Master's Grandson, but he's nothing like the master."

"He's a jerk…" Natsu muttered, finding his tongue once Erza had put her sword away once again, the berry head turning to Wendy with a cheerful smile "So what kind of magic can you use, Wendy-chan?"

"Um…" Wendy stammered, twiddling her fingers together nervously as she looked up at the older Dragonslayer's energetic, honest face "I can heal…" she admitted, earning a look of stunned amazement from Markarov and a few other adults.

"Heal?" Natsu wondered, the berry-head's brow furrowing in thought "You mean like Granny Porlyusica?" he asked, a hint of trepidation washing over the group's features "Those nasty potions and stuff?"

"No…" Wendy countered, shaking her head and taking a deep breath to steady herself as she looked the berry-head in the eyes "I was taught by Grandine, the Sky Dragon." she revealed, Markarov's eyes bulging out of his head at this revelation, even as Cana and Lisanna gasped in surprise "I'm the Sky Dragonslayer."

* * *

Ghost Nappa: dun, Dun, DU~N!

Piccolo: You ham.

GN: I'm just Saiyan.

Kyugan: That's enough bad puns and copyright infringing from you two.

Piccolo: But I didn't-!

Kyugan: You two, *ignores Piccolo's censored cursing* Well there's Wendy's meeting with Fairy Tail.

Wendy: Natsu-san was so cute when he was my age!

Kyugan: Yeah, he was a real lady killer too, even Mirajane thought he looked adorable when he pouted.

Wendy: REALY? *Negima shock face*

Piccolo: Humans...I'll never understand that mushy stuff...

GN: Amen brother.

Piccolo: You're not my brother.

GN: Aw...

Kyugan: In any case, Review for updates!


	5. Chapter 5

The following chapter was posted at Kyugan's request, as he his still recuperating.

Please bear with us until he gets better.

Piccolo: What? He's STILL under?

Nappa: Pussy.

Piccolo: That's big talk, coming from a dead man.

Nappa: Hey, dieing didn't keep ME down, i don't see how something as bad as a sore throat can bother...

Piccolo: He can't Even SWALLOW without coughing up a lung.

Nappa:...heheheh...

Piccolo: Oh grow up.

* * *

Chapter 5: Fairy Girl Wendy.

Silence reigned through the normally rowdy hall of the infamous Fairy Tail Wizards' Guild, the numerous occupants, young and old, halting in their routine of getting absolutely shit faced prior to the traditional bar fight to gape at the young slip of a girl, barely older than seven, who'd just laid claim to one of the rarest, most powerful styles of magic on the planet, short of Etherion.

The group gathered by the doorway weren't much better off, their faces, even the normally reserved Erza, were wide-eyed and lined with shock, Cana was covering her mouth and Gray, who'd been pulling on a pair of pants, keeled over with one leg half in, his eyes locked on Wendy's face, the poor girl wondering if, just maybe, she'd made a mistake with her admission.

Natsu, who was standing right in front of the girl, simply stood there silently, the volatile berry-head's jaw literally unhinging as he gaped at the younger Dragonslayer, too stunned by this revelation to say anything.

Then suddenly, his face split into a toothy grin, his hands lashing out and scooping a startled Wendy under the arms, lifting her up in the air as he whooped for joy. "Alright!" he cheered, waving poor, confused little Wendy above his head like a trophy he wanted everyone to see "Another Dragonslayer! This means there ARE more out there!"

"Natsu-!" Erza admonished, the redhead older girl getting over her shock quickly as she frowned at the berry head, though it was with a small smile on her face "Settle down, you'll make her air sick."

"No I won't!" Natsu countered, the berryhead grinning cheerfully at the redhead "Cause people only get motion sickness riding on vehicles!" he brought a dizzy looking Wendy down to his face "Right, Wendy?"

"H-Hai…?" Wendy stammered, her eyes little swirls as Natsu set her back on the ground, the elder Dragonslayer leaping around the guild, cheerfully setting things on fire as he kicked his heels for joy at having a 'little sister' of his own to play with.

"HEY!" Mirajane snapped, the silver haired girl scowling at Erza as she pointed at Natsu, who'd almost set her hair on fire with his latest antics "Can't you muzzle that firetrap you walking tin-can?"

"You're a fine one to be questioning MY wardrobe…" Erza countered, the two rivals' magical auras returning in force once again as they glared at one another, practically eye to eye "You shameless tramp."

"Mataku…" Lisanna sighed, shaking her head as the two devolved into a staring match, with poor Elfman caught trying to mediate, while Gray raced off, swearing vengeance on Natsu for setting fire to his Shirt, whilst Cana ran after the boy, holding his discarded pants and calling out to him to put them on. "There they go again…" she mused, a hint of humor in her tone as she turned to a stunned Wendy, who could only look on as Natsu avoided Gray's attempts, leaping up onto the chandelier promptly began raining hot vengeance down on the 'frigid exhibitionist' from on high "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Wendy-chan!"

"Thank you…" Wendy offered, a little unsettled as she watched Markarov, who looked ready to burst a blood vessel, put his foot down, literally, on the whole melting pot, causing the entire Guild to shake with his roar "I think…"

* * *

_Six years later…_

"I'm back!" Wendy cheered, the Sky Dragonslayer's sundress trailing behind her as she raced through the doors of the Fairy Tail Guild, where once again, everything seemed to have devolved into a free-for-all fistfight.

The Young Dragonslayer had just gotten back from her first Solo Quest, which was considered a 'coming of age' ceremony for most Guild Wizards. Normally, young wizards only took simply quests that saw them running jobs around town, what were considered training quests, or Rank D, which consisted of like painting fences or doing chores for the elderly. The only times they went on HARDER quests was when they were accompanied by an older mage, and then only on quests Ranked C.

When a wizard in training reached a certain age however, they were allowed to tackle a C-rank quest on their own, though admittedly, never one which didn't pass Master Markarov's EXTREMELY strict screening process.

"Wendy-chan!" a cheerful voice greeted, the Dragonslayer looking up to see Lisanna, now a teenager, dressed in a pink blouse with white shorts and shoes, beaming up at her as she sat by the bar, her older brother Elfman, who now wore a Gakuran and had brushed his hair back, looking on in concern as their eldest sibling, Mirajane, who wore her usual highly revealing, for her age, outfit as she once again grappled with Erza, who was wearing a different set of armor over a skirt, with no visible weapons "How was your mission?"

"It was alright…" Wendy assured the young take-over mage, ducking her head as a beer mug sailed through the air, turning to face the in progress with a curious expression, having gotten used to it over the years "What happened this time?"

"Natsu and Gray got into another fight…" Lisanna admitted with a sigh, gesturing to the pink haired teen, who was trying to devour the head of Gray, the other teen dressed only in his shorts, while Happy, the berry-head's winged, talking cat, chowed down on the Ice Maker's Fish dinner "Mira-nee made a crack about Erza failing as their 'keeper' and the whole thing devolved from there…"

"Natsu-nii…" Wendy sighed, shaking her head at the older Dragonslayer's tendency to add fuel to the fire, so to speak. Ever since she'd joined Fairy Tail four years ago, Wendy had gotten to know so many people, not the least being Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragonslayer.

At first, she'd been nervous as to how to approach the others, not being used to so may people after living alone in the woods with Grandine. But Natsu was the type that liked to make new friends, and ever since learning she was a fellow Dragonslayer, the berry-head had taken it upon himself to be Wendy's 'big brother', despite the fact that, mentally, Wendy was more mature.

"In any case…" Lisanna sighed, the silver haired teen looking back from the ongoing bruhaha to beam down at Lucy encouragingly "Since you just got back, do you want to come hang out with me at my place?"

"Maybe later on," Wendy offered, the young dragonslayer beaming up at the older girl as she stepped away from the counter, landing on her feet with a cute little grunt "There's something I need to do first?"

"Off to the woods again?" Cana wondered, the young card mage quirking a brow at the younger girl as she sat watching the fight, cheering on Macao, who had Wakaba in a headlock, whilst cradeling a barrel of booze "You always head off there after a mission, don't tell me you're visiting Granny Porlyusica?"

"She hates it when people calls her that." Wendy reminded the older girl, to which Cana merely shrugged, as there was little chance of Porlyusica ever coming into town to hear her say such "I'll catch you later, Lisanna-nee, tell Natsu-nii I said hi!"

* * *

_As Wendy Leaves..._

"Wendy?" Lisanna wondered, looking on as the younger girl dashed off, using her small size to her advantage as she weaved between the combatants, literally skipping out the door without so much as an ale stain on her dress "Wonder what's going on…?"

Ever since she'd joined the guild, Wendy had a strange habit of running off into the Magnolia forests whenever she wasn't on a mission or hanging out with her friends. This wasn't particularly strange, as Natsu did it all the time when he wanted to get away from Erza or Gray, in fact, many had simply brushed it aside as a 'Dragonslayer thing', reasoning that since both Natsu and Wendy had been raised in the wild, they were quite at home in the forests, possibly more than they were in town.

The problem was that while Natsu remained relatively close to the village during his forest rampages, Wendy seemed to delve deeper into them, so deep that only Natsu's enhanced Dragonslayer sense of smell could find her trail.

Wendy would simply brush it off as 'going to see Porlyusica', and for many, that was enough of a deterrent to keep them from asking further, as nobody wanted to bother the cantankerous old woman to verify the information.

"That girl's hiding something…" a voice noted, Lisanna looking up to see Laxus, the now in his twenties grandson of the Guild Master sitting at the bar, a smug look on his face and his trademark spiked headphones in place "I mean Natsu I can understand since he doesn't like Gray or Erza watching him train, but what's she doing running in and out of the woods for?"

"It's not like the woods are off limits." Lisanna pointed out, looking up at the teenage mage with a hint of disapproval in her eyes "Mira-nee, Elf-nii and I go in there all the time, and Master Markarov never says anything."

"Gramps doesn't say anything because he doesn't believe in 'cramping your style', and you all remember to stay close to the town or the old hag's place." Laxus countered, his tone smug as he waved a hand dismissively in the pair's direction, ignoring Lisanna's frown for the insult to Porlyusica "But Natsu's gone looking for her plenty of times and she's never at Porlyusica's place, and that's the LIMIT to how far you brats are allowed to go, even in groups."

Lisanna and Elfman blinked, looking up in alarm as the elder mage took a draught of his tankard of ale, something he took great pleasure of flaunting in front of Natsu, holding their silence as Laxus wiped his lips with the back of his hand, before getting up from his stool with a snort.

"Still…" he muttered, slinging his travel bag over his shoulder as he marched towards the request board, hand in his pocket "S'none of my business…for all I know she's got a boyfriend she doesn't want anyone to know about."

"Boyfriend?" Lisanna repeated, blinking as she watched the teen snag an A-class quest off the board before marching off "Wendy-chan?"

* * *

_In the woods..._

Wendy sneezed, the youngest Dragonslayer halting in her tracks as she rubbed her nose with her finger, looking around the forest in confusion, before shrugging it off, pressing deeper into the undergrowth, making her way towards the sound of falling water.

"There it is!" she cheered, stepping through the foliage and into a small clearing, which contained a by now familiar waterfall basin, the stream from which apparently flowed down past Porlyusica's house. Standing in the basin, up to his ankles in the cool, shimmering water, was a familiar figure, stripped to the waist save for his white burnoose, his green skin lined with pink, muscular growths "Piccolo-san!"

"Wendy…" the Namek greeted, turning to face the young Dragonslayer, his hands at his sides as he inclined his head in greeting "Back so soon-!"

He trailed off as Wendy hurled herself through the air, the Dragonslayer's arms wrapping around the startled Namekian's neck as she brought them down into the cool water. "Dammit Wendy!" the teenage Namek snapped, looking down at the grinning girl as she beamed up at him, her eyes closed in an unrepentant smile "That wasn't funny!"

"Sorry Piccolo-san!" Wendy giggled, allowing the Namek to pick her up by the back of her dress as he stood up, beaming up at him as he deposited her back on the ground "But you remember don't you? You promised you'd teach me how to fly if I could complete a solo quest!" she held up the completed Quest form "And I did!"

"I DID promise that, didn't I?" Piccolo noted, a wry smirk on his face as he created a large, fluffy towel in his outstretched hands, which he used to dry off the struggling Dragonslayer, despite her giggles of protest "I dunno kid, I don't think you're ready yet..."

"Oh Come on Piccolo-san!" Wendy exclaimed, pulling the towel off her head, revealing hair that looked like it had been through a tornado "You promised remember! And Natsu-nii told me that those who break their promises have to eat a thousand needles!"

"How very fortunate that I don't need to eat then…" Piccolo countered, smirking to himself as the little girl pouted back at him, before chuckling and ruffling her already frazzled hair "Alright, keep your hair on." He teased, "But before we do anything…"

He frowned, his palm lighting up, Wendy standing perfectly still as the Namekian once again used his power to change her clothing into something more practical for training, this time a perfect rendition of the outfit he'd worn when they'd met, minus the cowl and cloak, before turning on his heel and walking back to the water "C'mon."

"Hai!" Wendy chirped, fixing her hair with her hands as she skipped after the Namek, kicking off the weird shoes that came with her wardrobe change as she stepped into the water, giggling at how cool it felt against her naked feet.

"Concentrate." Piccolo ordered, already resuming his stance, his palms at his sides, eyes closed as he allowed his Ki to rise from deep within, causing faint ripples in the water. Wendy nodded, her features settling into a look of calm concentration as she closed her eyes, mirroring the Namek's stance as she allowed her Ki to rise up from the bottom of her belly as she'd been taught.

* * *

_With Piccolo..._

Piccolo had to admit, the training the so called 'Wizards' endured on this world wasn't that different from his own mental exercises, prior to fusing with Nail and Kami. Rather than the magic users on earth, or even Babidi and Buu, they instead combined their own, natural ki, with the natural chi that existed in the very air around them. As such, it wasn't uncommon for wizards that PROPERLY trained themselves to exhibit the same level of powers that natural Ki users could, and in some cases, surpass.

And then there were the Dragonslayers. Whatever methods their Draconic parents had used for training, they seemed to incorporate martial arts and a better understanding of one's body, rather than the traditional mental exercises favored by wizards. This showed not only in their natural durability, particularly to the element they used, in tha they could also take a SERIOUS amount of damage, depending on their level of strength, but also in their enhanced senses, particularly those of hearing, sight and smell.

When Wendy had admitted that one of the reasons she was always able to find the Namek was because of his scent, Piccolo had at first assumed she was kidding, though he soon changed his opinion after several near run-ins with Natsu, Wendy picking up the Fire breathing berry-head's scent approaching almost at the same time Piccolo sensed the boy's Ki signature approaching.

Not that Piccolo was AFRAID of the boy, heaven forbid, if he wanted to he could flash fry the little firestarter without lifting a finger. Eye beams were so useful like that. But as cathartic as it would likely be, the Namek deemed it necessary to avoid being seen by too many people, and Wendy would probably be upset if something happened to the elder Dragonslayer.

"Easy kid..." he instructed, his tone low as he sensed Wendy's Ki rising a little faster than the girl could control, certainly more than was necessary for anything short of a one-way trip to the moon "Don't try to force it up…let it rise slowly from your center…"

"Hai…" Wendy complied, the young dragonslayer's brows furrowing as she held back her power, feeling rather than seeing the ripples forming around her stabilizing, falling almost in sync with Piccolo's own.

"Now…" the Namek instructed, his breathing even and paced, as if in a meditative state, a dull white glow, tinged with a hint of green, forming over his body, the ripples around his legs increasing "Let it flow throughout your body…" he instructed "Visualize passing the energy through a tube…"

* * *

_With Wendy..._

Wendy frowned, her closed eyes trembling with concentration as a soft golden light began to cover her body, the ripples around her feet increasing as well, though not nearly as much as Piccolo's.

"Good…hold it steady…" Piccolo instructed, keeping his eyes closed as he spoke "Relax your muscles, tensing up will only make it harder to control…"

Wendy did as instructed, or tried to anyways, as it was hard not to tense up while trying to control ones energy. Piccolo had informed her that with enough practice, it was possible to do so instinctively, but Wendy was still a long way off before she could summon her ki as easily as she could her magic.

'Just remember…' she reminded herself, releasing a breath and loosening her shoulders, her fingers clenched at her sides 'It's the same as summoning one's magic…you just don't add the energy from the air like normal…'

'She catches on quickly…' Piccolo noted, the Namekian smirking to himself as he felt the young Dragonslayer's Ki spread itself evenly throughout her small frame 'Guess those Dragons know their stuff…'

"That's it." He instructed aloud, sensing she'd gathered enough for a test take off "Now send it down towards your feet…try to imagine your Ki as a cushion of air, then push it down beneath you."

Wendy frowned, her eyes clenching as she did as instructed, grateful for the metaphor as she envisioned a soft stream of air forming at her feet, slowly pushing it down further beneath her with each passing breath.

"Ah!" a voice called out, followed by the sound of broken shrubbery, Wendy's eyes snapping open, looking around in alarm to see a sheepish looking Elfman lying on the ground, rubbing his head, Lisanna standing next to him, her mouth wide as she gaped at them in surprise.

"Lisanna-nee? Elfman-nii?" Wendy exclaimed, eyeing the new arrivals in alarm, having been so wrapped up in her attempts she hadn't been paying attention to their surroundings as Piccolo had taught.

"Wendy…chan…" Lisanna stammered, pointing at the younger girl with a look of amazement on her face "How...did you…?"

Wendy blinked, following the elder girl's gaze, only for her eyes to widen as she realized she was currently hovering just above the water's surface, ripples dancing just beneath her toes, letting out a startled gasp as her concentration broke, causing her to fall into the basin with a splash.

"Ah! Wendy-chan!" Lisanna cried, the silver haired girl racing towards her young friend in concern, paying no heed to Piccolo as the Namek stood to the side, his arms crossed before him as he watched her fish his waterlogged student out of the drink "Are you alright?"

"H-Hai…" Wendy coughed, the waterlogged young dragonslayer wiping water out of her eyes with a pout, only to blink up at the elder wizards in confused alarm "But…Lisanna-nee…how long have you?"

"They followed you here kid." Piccolo explained, the teenage namekian looking down at the pair with a neutral expression on his face, Lisanna looking up at him warily as she hugged Wendy to her chest "I sensed them following far behind you."

"But-! I was really careful when I made my way here!" Wendy insisted, looking between the stoic Namek and the sibling duo, Elfman looking apologetic while Lisanna refused to take her eyes off Piccolo "I didn't smell them or anything!"

"That's why I told you not to rely on your sense of smell." Piccolo reminded her, the namekian tapping his own nose for emphasis "Sure it's a valuable tool, but if they're downwind of you, it wont serve you any good."

"Wendy-chan…" Lisanna murmured, the silver haired teenage takeover mage looking up at the tall, taller than Elfman anyways, Namek teen, a little unnerved by his silent stare "Who...is this...person?"

"This is Piccolo-san!" Wendy introduced, the young dragonslayer beaming up at the older girl as she stepped out of ehr embrace, gesturing towards the Namek in question "He's the one who brought me to Fairy Tail!"

"Piccolo-san?" Lisanna repeated, the youngest Takeover sibling blinking in confusion, only for her eyes to widen in sudden recollection "Wait, you mean that weird, green, stick man looking thing you drew once?"

"You mean that wasn't an imaginary friend?" Elfman wondered, the nervous, gentle older brother of Lisanna blinking at the Namek in confusion, only to avert his eyes from the Namek's VERY realistic stare "But…I thought Granny Porlyusica brought you to the guild?"

"The old woman wouldn't come into town willingly even if her house caught fire." Piccolo countered with a snort, his lip curling slightly as Elfman flinched at the sound of his voice "She had me do it since I'm the one who found the kid."

"Piccolo-san's really cool, Lisanna-nee!" Wendy insisted, tugging on the elder girl's skirt insistently "He's really strong, can make things appear out of thin air, and he's teaching me how to fly!" she turned to Piccolo as she spoke "Hey! Did you see Piccolo-san! I did it too!"

"For about a second." Piccolo admitted, a hint of gentle mockery in the Namek's tone, only to chuckle as the little girl pouted up at him, reaching out and ruffling her hair proudly "But I suppose it's a start…"

"Yeah!" Wendy cheered, the young Dragonslayer punching both hands in the air, an excited expression on her face "Just you wait Piccolo-san!" she boasted confidently "I'll be able to fly just like you someday!"

"Ano…." Lisanna murmured, a dazed expression on her face as she held a hand up to catch the duo's attention "Could someone please tell me what's going on here?"

* * *

Sorry Lisanna-chan, not until Kyugan's up and about.

Piccolo: Heh...even as a teen, I still got it.

Nappa: Got what?

Piccolo: Something Prince Vegetable lacks...

Nappa: Daddy issues?

Piccolo: No.

Nappa: A comb?

Piccolo: The HELL do i need a comb for?

Nappa: *Grins, opens his mouth*

Vegeta: Nappa if you finish that sentance I'll lock you up with the box ghost again.

Nappa: Shutting up.

Ghost Trap: *From inside* I AM THE BOX GHOST!

Piccolo: No-one cares.


	6. Chapter 6

Been a while peeps!

Piccolo: Not long enough.

Kyugan: Oh hush, you missed me and you know it!

Piccolo: I missed your ability to keep Nappa entertained *tilts head over his shoulder, where GN is staring avidly at a bug zapper) He's begining to drive me insane.

Kyugan: Short trip last I checked *flinches as Piccolo raises two fingers to his brow* I joke I joke! I kid I Kid!

Wendy: Kyugan-san...I don't think the joke is working.

Kyugan: *Eyeing glowing fingers with fear* No sh-!-T...*Grabs a cone*

Piccolo: MAKANKOUSAPPOU!

Kyugan: PROTECT ME CONE!

* * *

Chapter 6: Getting to know you.

"So you found Wendy-chan after she'd been abandoned by her Dragon?" Lisanna wondered, the group sitting in a rough circle under a tree Piccolo usually meditated under whenever he didn't feel like heading back to Porlyusica's home for the night.

"If Piccolo-san hadn't found me, I probably would've never found my way to Fairy Tail." Wendy admitted, the younger girl beaming up at the Namek, who was sitting cross-legged at the base of the tree, arms folded across his chest, her gaze filled with adoration.

"I still can't believe all this…" Elfman muttered, the elder teen looking highly befuddled by this turn of events "I mean, it's all so bizarre…we all thought that Wendy-chan simply had an imaginary friend she liked to play with…"

"Sorry to burst your bubble…" Piccolo countered, the Neo-Namekian teenager opening one eye to smirk at the nervous looking young man "But I'm QUITE real."

"Are you an elf?" Lisanna asked, her eyes holding that hint of magical sparkles that only children and little girls possess, as she eyed the scowling Namekian teen excitedly.

"I'm a Namekian." Piccolo growled out, wondering just what in the hell was with people mistaking him for some pansy, fantasy creature that might not even exist, and if it did, was hardly likely to resemble the human's interpretation.

'Pointed ears aside, how in the hell was there any resemblance between me and them?' he wondered, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head as he watched Lisanna slump in disappointment 'I mean I'm GREEN for Kami's sake, and last I checked, Elves didn't have antennae.'

"What's a Namek?" Elfman wondered, the Gakuran sporting teen looking up at Piccolo curiously, flinching as the Namek turned his glare on him "I mean-! It's just we've never heard of them before!"

"I'd be surprised if you HAD." Piccolo muttered, his glare lessening, as the boy HAD asked a relevant question "We Nameks prefer to keep to ourselves. Not very good at socializing I suppose." He snorted wryly at the memory of the few times he'd appeared in public in his past life, and the general panic and confusion he'd caused "Though so far as I know, I'm the only one here."

"You mean…" Elfman began, the mild mannered, gakuran sporting take-over mage looking up at the Namekian neo-teen in surprise "There...aren't any more...?"

"Not HERE." Piccolo countered, his arms crossed before his chest as he looked off into the distance "There are a few others out there somewhere, just not here to my knowledge."

"What…what about your parents?" Lisanna asked, the younger Take-Over mage looking up at the Namek with concern in her eyes, even as Wendy sat in silence.

"Don't have any…" Piccolo muttered, his tone evasive as he tried to avoid the girl's empathetic stare, deciding to give the cliff-notes version for now "My Father was…killed, a long time ago."

"Ours too." Elfman admitted, looking down at his hands as he spoke, twiddling his thumbs with a downcast expression "Our mother too, though Mira-nee does a good job looking after us."

"What about your mother, Piccolo-san?" Wendy asked, looking up at her tall friend with a look of childish intrigue in her eyes "You never mentioned her."

"I don't have one." Piccolo countered, looking the young girl in the eyes "Not the way you're thinking," he countered, hurriedly, having come to recognize all the warning signs of a tear-fest from his time with Wendy "Namekians only have one parent."

"But…how does that work?" Elfman wondered, looking confused as he held his chin "I mean, Miranee gave us the talk…" the siblings blushed at the memory "And she said you need a Father AND a Mother to have kids."

"Humans do." Piccolo countered, eyeing the pair with an aloof stare "So do most other species for that matter, but we Nameks are different. We hatch from Eggs."

"Eggs?" the take-over Siblings repeated, looking at the Namekian with eyes bulging out of their heads in disbelief. It was actually an understandable reaction, as it was hard to picture the seven foot namek hatching out of anything.

"It's true!" Wendy exclaimed, the young Sky Dragonslayer nodding her head empathetically "I asked Porlyusica-san, and she showed me the shells from the egg Piccolo-san hatched out of!"

"She kept the damn thing?" Piccolo muttered, unable to decide what creeped him out more, that Porlyusica had kept his egg fragments or that she'd shown them to other people, like a mother showing off baby photos.

"Wow…" Lisanna wondered, a slightly dazed expression on her face as she looked the Namek up and down, Elfman completely out like a light next to her, steam coming out of his ears "Ah! So you're kinda like Happy then?" she reasoned, snapping her fingers and tapping her palm with her fist.

"Who?" Piccolo wondered, the Namekian neo-teen looking between the trio, or rather, the two girls, since Elfman was still catching flies with his mouth, a frown on his face.

"Happy is Natsu-Nii's cat." Wendy explained, a helpful smile on her face "He hatched out of an egg not too long ago! He's blue, has wings, can fly, and he can talk!"

'Blue, flying, magical talking cat?' Piccolo wondered, a bead of sweat sliding down the side of his head at the all-too-familliar image 'Why does that sound familiar?'

"Lisanna-nee and Elf-Nii helped hatch him!" Wendy added, beaming up at the pair with an adorable smile "Lisanna's the momma and Natsu-Nii's the daddy!"

"Oh stop it Wendy…" Lisanna giggled, the youngest takeover siblng waving a hand dismissively as she covered her mouth with her finger "We were just playing house!"

'Playing house?' Piccolo wondered, another bead of sweat sliding down the back of his head 'You mean that thing Bra somehow talked Vegeta into that Trunks kept boasting he had pictures of?'

"C'mon Lisanna-nee!" Wendy insisted, the young sky dragonslayer looking up at the older girl with an innocent smile on her face "It's true you like Natsu-Nii, right?"

"WENDY-CHAN!" Lisanna countered, covering her mouth with a look of surprise, her cheeks a bright pink as she averted her eyes from everyone's stares, as Elfman had revived with a snort at this revelation "It's not something you just…talk about…"

"Lisanna-chan…are you sure…?" Elfman asked, looking unnerved "I mean Natsu's a good guy n'all…" he shivered suddenly, a shadow of gloom covering his features "But if Neechan ever found out…"

* * *

_Piccolo POV..._

The three wizards shivered as on, prompting Piccolo to quirk one brow, the Namekian wondering just what in the hell was going on, still ignorant as to the inner workings of human courtship rituals as he had back when Cell had been defeated.

Oh he understood the mechanics, roughly, which didn't stop him from feeling mildly disgusted by the whole thing, since Namekian procreation was nowhere near as messy or complicated, for one thing you didn't need another partner, which saved a lot on time and effort. Not that Piccolo knew from experience, but then his father HAD been good enough to bequeath his memories to his final son, so the former Demon King had a pretty good idea of how the whole thing worked.

"A-anyway!" Lisanna spoke up at last, shaking herself out of her stupor, turning to look up at Piccolo a smile forming on her face as she got to her feet, holding out her hand "It's nice to meet you, Piccolo-san!"

Piccolo eyed the girl's extended hand, honestly wondering whether he should accept it or not, only to catch the expectant look in Wendy's eyes, reaching out and enclosing the silver haired girl's hand with his three fingered one "Pleasure's mine."

"Lisanna-nee." Wendy spoke up, even as Elfman and the Namek shared a tentative greeting, the young Dragonslayer looking the elder girl in the eye "You can't tell anyone at the guild about Piccolo-san. He doesn't like crowds very much, and if everyone found out…"

"What do you take me for?" Lisanna asked, beaming down at the girl, ruffling her long hair as she did so "Of course I'll keep it a secret! Just between us girls!"

"Lisanna-chan…" Elfman muttered, an embarrassed, deadpan expression adorning the elder takeover mage's face as he held up a hand, staring at the two pointedly.

"Whoops!" Lisanna chuckled, the youngest sibling rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment "Gomen ne, Elf-Nii." She offered, smiling consolingly at her brother "The THREE of us will keep it secret."

"You promise?" Wendy asked, lthe sky dragonslayer looking up at the elder mages with a concerned expression on her face "Even from Master? Even from Natsu Nii?"

"We won't even tell Nee-chan." Elfman assured her, patting the smaller girl that everyone in the guild had come to love on the head "A real man never breaks his word!"

"They also don't start crying for no reason, Elf-Nii…" Lisanna pointed out teasingly, Elfman's face turning red as he rubbed his nose, looking embarrassed, Wendy giggling at the group's antics, only to look up, her nostril's twitching as her eyes widened.

"It's Natsu-nii!" she exclaimed, turning to face the direction of the smell, her sapphire eyes widening with concern as the scent drew nearer "He's on his way here! Happy too!"

"That's my cue to exit…" Piccolo muttered, getting to his feet with a grunt, reaching down to pat the girl on the head, tossing on his weighted mantle before taking off into the air.

* * *

_Back at the clearing..._

"Wow…" Lisanna whistled, the silver haired wizard shielding her eyes with her hand as she watched the Namekian teen vanish into the blue sky alongside her equally stunned brother "So cool!"

"Wendy!" a voice called out from the shrubbery, turning round just as Natsu Dragneel, in all his boisterous, berry-headed glory, burst out of the foliage, a pleased, spiky grin on his face as he caught sight of his adoptive sibling, "Huh? Lisanna? Elfman?" the fire Dragonslayer wondered, looking at the Takeover Siblings in stunned concern, even as his winged blue cat, Happy, landed on his shoulder with a cheerful cry of 'Aye!' "What're you doing here?"

"Same thing you are." Lisanna lied, the takeover wizard placing both hands on Wendy's shoulders, while sending a nervous Elfman a look to let her do the talking "What's wrong Natsu? Does big brother feel jealous that his cute little sister has other friends?"

"Why would I be jealous?" Natsu wondered, his trademark clueless expression lining his face as he scratched the back of his head "You're my friends too."

"Just friends?" Lisanna wondered, letting out a mock sigh as she held her cheek in mock sadness "And here I thought we had something special, Natsu…we're parents after all…"

"There you go saying weird things again…" Natsu muttered, a deadpan expression on his face despite his blush, Happy loosing another 'Aye!' of agreement, while Elfman made strange, strangling noises off to the side "Anyway! You won't believe what I just found!"

"What is it?" Lisanna wondered, looking on with an intrigued expression as the berry-head reached inside his vest, pulling out what appeared to be a piece of torn parchment.

"I was going looking over some of the old quest books Gramps keeps in the basement," Natsu explained, spreading the parchment on the nearby stump "I thought I could find some clue about the dragons vanishing but I found this instead!"

"Natsu…" Elfman wondered, the taller teen breaking out into a nervous sweat as he read between the younger mage's words "Don't tell me you tore those pages out of one of Master's books…?"

"Didn't have to." Natsu countered, the elder dragonslayer grinning up at the nervous elder teen cheekily "The damn thing fell apart when it landed on my head!"

"Only you Natsu…" Lisanna sighed, the youngest Takeover sibling shaking her head in bemusement as she and Wendy giggled at the berry-head's antics "so what is it?"

"Well, that's why I was looking for you guys." Natsu admitted, the fire dragonslayer rubbing the back of his head as he grinned nervously "I'm still having trouble…"

"Natsu…" Lisanna sighed, the silver haired takeover wizard shaking her head with a bemused sigh "Don't tell me you've been skipping Erza's tutoring sessions again…"

"I can read just fine!" Natsu countered, only to avert his gaze from Lisanna's knowing stare and smile "It's just…this curly writing's harder…" he grumbled out, lips pouting adorably.

"Well, calligraphy isn't your strong point…" Lisanna admitted, and she had to agree that even she had the bit of trouble with some of the older tomes Markarov kept lying around. The only people their own age who DIDN'T have such problems were Levy MacGarden, a fellow Guild member and part of the three man Shadow Gear team, Larxus, Markarov's Grandson, Erza and Mirajane "Here, let me have a look…"

* * *

_Clearing..._

Natsu grinned, handing over the leaves of parchment with a grin as Lisanna looked them over, her brow furrowing in thought. "Let's see…" she muttered "According to this, ages ago, a wicked demon took a beautiful princess hostage and locked her up in his castle." She turned her attention to the next page, which displayed a picture of a princess with a jewel on her chest, the face missing due to damage and time "Legend has it he put a sleeping spell on her, and that she's STILL there to this day…"

"Wow…" Natsu muttered, the elder of Fairy Tail's dragonslayers looking at the silver haired girl in awestruck amazement "She's gotta be STARVING by now!"

"She's not starving you putz!" Elfman muttered, the elder wizard smacking Natsu upside the head with his fist for his tactless comment "She's under a spell!"

"The poor thing!" Wendy exclaimed, clapping a hand over her mouth in surprise even as Natsu rounded on Elfman, the two of them tussling in the background "Why would anyone do something like that?"

"There are some men out there that don't know what it means to TRULY be men." Elfman muttered, his tone sagely as he fended off Natsu's attempts to immolate him with fire "They like to make themselves feel important by picking on the weak and defenseless."

"So in other words, they're bullies!" Natsu reasoned, slugging Elfman in the jaw and standing over him triumphantly "And we can't let bullies boss people around, so I say we teach this guy a lesson!"

"Natsu…" Lisanna sighed, shaking her head in exasperation "That's very, very sweet of you and all…" she tapped the pages carefully "But this is obviously just an old legend, this 'Devil's Hand' might not even exist."

"Sounds creepy…" Elfman muttered, rubbing his jaw tenderly from the punch he'd received, a look of concern on his face "Maybe we should let someone else know…"

"No way!" Natsu countered, interposing himself before the older Takeover mage with his fists held before him "We don't need anyone else for this!" he threw his head back with a confident laugh "All we need is to find the castle and burn it to the ground! VICTORY!"

"Wouldn't that kill the princess too?" Lisanna pointed out, sighing as Natsu's features went slack, the berry-head's cackles halting with a vinyl-rip sound, the silver haired wizard shaking her head in disbelief "Mataku…you never think these things through, do you?"

"Aye!" Happy agreed cheerfully, earning a muttered 'traitor' from Natsu as the rest of the group laughed, the berry head crossing his arms and turning his head to the side.

"In any case…" Lisanna chuckled, wiping tears from her eyes as she smiled consolingly at the berry head "We should get this back to Master Markarov before he notices it's missing." She smiled as Natsu huffed in disappointment "Who knows, he might even send Erza out looking for whoever wrecked the book."

"I didn't wreck it and I'm NOT afraid of Erza!" Natsu insisted, though he looked a little nervous as he led the way back, Lisanna giggling as she walked alongside him, her arm wrapped around his, much to the berry-head's confusion and Elfman's discomfort.

It wasn't that Elfman disliked Natsu. Annoying habit of setting things on fire aside, he rather liked the elder Dragonslayer. It was just Natsu was considered part of 'Erza's Group', according to Mirajane, who had nearly blown a gasket last time she'd heard Lisanna was hanging out with Natsu, even if it was only to help him hatch Happy's egg.

'Then again, they were only kids back then so it wasn't so bad…' he reasoned, looking on as the images of Natsu and Lisanna from four years prior superimposed themselves over their present counterparts 'If she saw them together like this now…'

Wendy, who was bringing up the rear alongside the suddenly sweating Elfman, looked back over her shoulder, looking for a sign of Piccolo, only to sigh and turn to follow the group when Lisanna called out for her, leaving the once again silent clearing to it's own devices.

* * *

_Evening..._

Piccolo frowned, the Namekian sporting his cloak against the nighttime chill as he meditated in mid-air before the waterfall, a mental exercise that combined multi-tasking with chi control, as it was hard to focus on two things at the same time, and levitating generally took up a lot of concentration to begin with.

'Devil's hand huh?' he wondered, having overheard the conversation between the kids thanks to enhanced hearing, scoffing to himself at what was clearly a children's fairy tale blown way out of proportions 'Kidnapped princess indeed…' he muttered, shaking his head at Natsu's loudmouth, groundless claims 'Kids and their wild imaginations…'

He frowned suddenly, both eyes cracking open as he sensed a familiar ki approaching from overhead, looking up with a disapproving stare at the one responsible for violating his airspace.

"Wendy…" he muttered, looking the younger Dragonslayer in the eyes as she hung awkwardly in mid-air "I thought I told you never to practice without my supervision."

"G-Gomen…Piccolo-san…" Wendy offered, the young dragonslayer smiling guiltily at the Namek as she staggered through the air like a badly suspended puppet "I…just wanted to surprise you…!"

She yelped, dropping out of the air towards the basin below, only to blink as Piccolo's arm extended, his hand grabbing her by the back of her nightdress, the arm retracting to it's normal length as the Namekian lifted her up to his eye level.

"And this is exactly why I told you not to train by yourself." Piccolo muttered, his tone grim, laced with exasperation "What would've happened if I hadn't been here? What if you were higher up? What if there wasn't water at the bottom?"

"Gomen…" Wendy offered, the young Dragonslayer looking downcast at the lecture she was receiving, only to blink as Piccolo set her down on his lap and patted her on the head.

"Still…" the Namek admitted, his tone laced with bemused approval, like a parent who's child has taken their first steps "At least you lasted longer than earlier today, right?"

"Yep!" Wendy beamed, tilting her head back to smile up at the Namekian like a kitten in his lap, before turning her gaze further upwards to look at the moon "Pretty…"

"If you say so…" Piccolo muttered, truth be told, after several hair-raising experiences involving the Son family, the former Demon King turned Defender had the same misgivings about a full moon as anyone who'd encountered a Saiyan and lived to tell about it, though unlike Bulma and the rest, HE never showed his discomfort externally, unless there was no-one else around at the time "Shouldn't you be heading back to your dorm or something?"

"Jus' a little…longer…." Wendy insisted, stifling a yawn as she sat back, her head resting against his chest as she continued to look at the stars, only for her little head to droop, her eyes shutting slowly as she slowly drifted off into slumber.

"Kid?" Piccolo called out, looking down at the young Dragonslayer that had apparently fallen asleep in his lap, only to sigh, rearranging his cloak so that she was covered against the nighttime chill, before slowly taking off, drifting lazily towards the general direction of the Fairy Tail Women's Dormitory, where Female guild members could stay provided they paid the rent.

Hovering in the air over the building for a moment, his sharp eyes quickly noted one window that had been partially shut,, a closer examination of which revealing that the room was most likely Wendy's, as not only was it covered with pictures of various cats, there were several books on healing, the theory that is, that the girl had picked up during her stay at Fairy Tail.

'Didn't the old hag say something about her wanting to write a book of her own regarding Healing?' he recalled, quirking a brow at one of the tomes he recognized from Porlyusica's own collection, it was considered absolute hogwash, but many naïve young wizards took it at face value 'If she did, I'm pretty sure it'd be a best seller.'

That said, the Namek pulled the slumbering girl out from under his cloak, setting her down gently on her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin before turning to leave.

"Piccolo-san…" Wendy murmured, halting Piccolo in his tracks, the Namekian teen turning to look over his shoulder, only to find the girl was talking in her sleep "I'll…get better…"

Piccolo paused, hesitating for only a second before stepping back, a hand coming out to pat the Dragonslayer on the head, messing up her hair slightly as he smiled encouragingly.

"Sure you will, kid." He uttered, ruffling her hair one last time, before turning on his heel with a swirl of his cloak and climbing out the window, the full moon shining down on him as he returned to the woods.

* * *

_Morning..._

Wendy awoke with a yawn, the young Dragonslayer stretching her arms above her head as she sat up in bed, blinking around at her dorm room in confusion.

"I thought I went to see Piccolo-san…?" she wondered, recalling how she snuck out of the dormitory using her newly acquired flight skills, not to mention the shaky, tongue-in-cheek first flight over Magnolia forest "How did I get back…?"

"Wendy!" a voice cried out, the young Dragonslayer looking up in surprise as someone rattled the door to her room violently "Are you in there? It's me! Levy!"

"Levy-nee?" Wendy blinked, getting out of bed, still dressed in the clothes she'd worn last night, she noticed, and unlocking the door to blink up at the distraught looking Biblio wizard "Is something wrong?"

"It's Natsu!" Levy exclaimed, her blue hair a mess as she leant against the doorway, looking like she'd run a marathon "He's disappeared!"

* * *

dun Dun DUN-!

looks like thing's are starting to heat up!

Piccolo: The hell? How're you still alive?

Kyugan: *Holds up horribly mangled and singed cone* Safety Cone.

Piccolo: oh son of a-!

Kyugan: *Hold up Doe-eyed Wendy* Minor!

Piccolo: *glares* Biscuit.

Kyugan: *Releases Wendy* Seriously Dude, I can't be beaten here!

Piccolo: *Scowls* That so? *Smirks* Look Behind you.

Kyugan: *Does so...Projectile nosebleeds across the room.*

Edolas Wendy: *sighs* this always happens...

Wendy: How'd you do that?

Edolas Wendy: I'll teach you later... *eyes piccolo and smirks* Much later.

Ghost Nappa: *Still staring at the light as piccolo blink in confusion* Bow...chika...bow-wow...

Review or wendy-chan cries.


	7. Chapter 7

Gawd that was hawt...oh, hi peeps, sorry for taking so long.

Piccolo: (Off screen) Dammit woman! Unhand me!

E-Wendy: (Off Screen) Hush, take it like a man.

Kyugan: (Paper tissues up nose) In any case here's the latest chapter!

Wendy-chyan: Kyugan-san, the other me is doing something to Piccolo-san!

Kyugan: Huh? *turns to look off screen...projectile nosebleeds across room* PUGYAAAA-!

* * *

Chapter 7: Devil's Hand.

If you ever looked up the words 'Rambunctious', 'Loud', 'Public Nuisance' or 'Bloody Idiots' in a dictionary, more than likely you'd find a picture of the Fairy Tail Guild Crest next to it, with several red warning stickers courtesy of the Magic Council for good measure. Not only were they a guild to be feared, by evildoers and property owners alike, but there was a general level of 'excitability' that hung over them, even in their home town.

It had gotten so bad that, during the remodeling to take into account Gildartz Clive's daydreaming, and the rampant property destruction this caused, the Magnolia village council had also sprung for free soundproofing for every home, so that the usual ruckus from the Guild Hall itself wouldn't disturb anyone unless the damn thing exploded. The fact there was a running bet as to how long it would take for some idiot to finally destroy the place simply proved the point of how rowdy the 'Fairies' could be.

The scene at Fairy Tail that morning was one of solemn concern, something that happened so rarely that whenever it did roll around, it meant that something had hit the fan, hard, and was likely to send big wet, soggy patches of itself in all directions.

The last time the atmosphere had gotten this tense had been shortly after Markarov had banished his only son, Larxus' father, for reasons that were expressly forbidden to discuss with ANYONE, EVER, under penalty of excommunication. The usual rioting between surly mages seeking coffee, breakfast or a hair of the dog that bit them the previous evening, silenced as they all gathered before the bar, where a grim faced Markarov was holding court.

* * *

_Fairy Tail..._

"Good Grief…" the dwarfish Guild Master sighed, shaking his head in exasperation as he sat on the bar of Fairy Tail, the rest of the guild, those not currently off on missions that is, chatting animatedly amongst themselves "What am I going to do with that boy?"

"It's my fault…" Levy sniffed, looking downcast despite the attempts of Jet and Droy, her childhood friends, to cheer her up "He asked me not to tell anyone because he was scared you'd blame him for damaging the book, even I could tell it had fallen apart from age so I didn't question it…"

"Not your fault Levy chan." Markarov assured her, extending his hand and patting her on the head soothingly "I should've taken better care of the old things, some of those books have been around longer than ME!"

"I still can't believe Natsu would be stupid enough to go out on an A class quest without the master's permission." Macao muttered, the older, Purple Fire Wizard shaking his head in disbelief as he held up a piece of parchment "Let alone BRAG about it!"

_"Gramps, goin' on an A-class Quest, 'Aye!' Natsu."_ Gray read, the young Icemaker sweatdropping in disbelief at Natsu's horrible handwriting and Happy's paw print "Good grief…there's no helping that idiot."

"Gray, your clothes…" Cana sighed, the now busty Card Wizard shaking her head in disbelief as Gray once again freaked out over his semi nudity, a barrel of some doubtlessly alcoholic beverage at her feet "What are we going to do?"

"We'll drag him back of course." Markarov assured her, a smile on his face as he patted his knee "He can't have gotten too far, and most A-class quests are at least three days away from Magnolia, never mind those in different parts of the country."

"That's right!" Wakaba realized, the pipe-smoking, pompadour sporting wizard tapping his palm with his fist "Natsu's bad with transportation! Which means he's traveling on foot!"

"Not necessarily," Markarov muttered, shaking his head "Happy might be young, but his Aera magic would allow him to carry a passenger for a while, though if the quest is a fair distance from here, they'd need regular stops."

"So what quest did the idiot grab for himself?" Gray asked, turning to Levy while Markarov took a swig of ale from his tankard, accepting the pants an exasperated Cana was holding out for him.

"Umm…" Levy stammered, tilting her head away from the other teen, Jet and Droy stepping forward to shield her from Gray's nudity as she held her chin, trying to recall which one the berry-head had been talking about "OH!" she recalled, tapping her palm with her fist as a light shone over her head "The one with the Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle!"

Markarov choked, launching ale and spittle across the bar, his eyes wide with alarm at Levy's revelation "THE DEVIL'S HAND!"

Almost every one of the older Wizards flinched, the mutterings breaking out again as they looked between one another in alarm, the younger Wizards blinking in confusion.

"I don't get it…" Gray muttered, the icemaker staggering around trying to pull on a pair of pants "What's the big deal with this 'hand' thing?"

"The Devil's Hand are five mountains that are clustered together in the shape of a clawed hand reaching out of the ground." Levy revealed, holding up, of all things, and Atlas she hadn't possessed two seconds ago "They say that somewhere inside is a castle belonging to an evil count, and his demon minions."

"DEMONS?" the younger wizards all exclaimed, many of them looking around in alarm, though some, most notably Gray, went strangely silent at the mention of the demonic minions.

"What're we gonna do…" Elfman whispered, the Takeover wizard turning to look at Lisanna, who had a concerned, albeit exasperated expression on her face "Natsu's really stepped in it this time…it's just a good thing Erza and Neechan are both off on missions…"

"That's true…" Lisanna sighed, shaking her head, already imagining the HELL Natsu was in for if either of those two learned what he'd done, only to blink as she looked around the guild "Wait a moment…where's Wendy-chan?"

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"ACHOO!" Natsu sneezed, the berry-head groaning as he sat in the very back of a carriage, having purchased a ticket since Happy was too young to carry him all the way to the Devil's Hand "Ugh…this is sucks…"

"Aye!" Happy chirped, the little furball chowing away on a bento box that they'd purchased back in town, completely unaffected by his partner's motion-sickness "You're right Natsu! This bento needs more fish! It's bland!"

"CAT-astrophic…" Natsu muttered, his cheeks bulging out like a hamsters as he held his mouth shut, sticking his head out the window and horfing over the side "And…you shouldn't be…eating all those…" he pointed out, looking at the tower of bento his partner had already cleared out "Save some…for the princess…!"

"Aye!" Happy agreed, diligently opening another Bento box, having clearly not heard one word of Natsu's advice, the poor Dragonslayer too weak to stop his partner as he once again revisited what little he'd eaten before setting out.

"Hurk…" he muttered, looking down the side of the carriage with a dazed, half-lucid expression on his face "Hey…I don't remember eating corn…" he blinked, suddenly straightening up as the carriage came to a halt "IT STOPPED!"

"DARN RIGHT I STOPPED!" the conductor shot back, glaring at the pink haired bane of his existence over his shoulder. It'd cost him half today's take to get the stains and smell of the kid's breakfast off the side of the carriage, let alone the mess his pet was leaving on the seats "This is as close as I'm taking ya!"

"Huh?" Natsu exclaimed, the startled berry-head looking up at the man in alarmed suspicion "But, we paid for you to take us all the way to the Devil's Hand!"

"NOBODY GOES THERE!" the taxi driver exclaimed, teeth spiky and spitting fire "The only reason 'I' came this far is because the chief told me you were from a Guild! If you'd simply been some crackpot tourist I wouldn't have bothered!" he gripped the control level as magic flowed from his arm to the engine "Now either get out or buckle up! 'cause I'm headin' back!"

"AH! WAIT!" Natsu yelped, grabbing his belongings, along with Happy, who let out a yowl of protest as he was forced to leave behind his half-eaten bento "I'm getting off this thing!"

"Your funeral brat…!" the driver called back, barely waiting for the pair to clear the door before revving the lever and sending the carriage off, possibly setting a new record as the magical vehicle took the corner on one wheel and raced off back to civilization.

"I'm never riding in a carriage again…" Natsu muttered, doubled over with his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath, rubbing his mouth clean with the back of his hand, only to look up at the cliff-face they'd been left by "Pretty damn tall…" he whistled, tilting his head back and covering his eyes to see better "You think you can make it, Happy?"

"Aye!" the blue cat cheered, pulling off a salute before sprouting wings, or rather, enlarging the wings on it's back so that they could support him whilst carrying someone, namely Natsu, who held out his arms as his feline partner latched onto the back of his vest, letting out a whoop of joy as they took off, the side of the cliff-face dropping past them rapidly.

"I think I see the top!" Natsu cheered, grinning as Happy cleared the ridge, the feline releasing his grip on Natsu's shirt, allowing the Dragonslayer to drop, Natsu intending to land gracefully like that action star he'd seen, only to screw up the landing and wind up emulating an ostrich, his legs kicking in the air.

"Natsu!" Happy called out, the little winged feline landing with decidedly more grace than his partner as his wings reverted back to normal "Are you alright? Natsu!"

Natsu's reply was muffled by at least a foot of earth between his mouth and the distraught feline, the berry-head's legs and lower body twisting and kicking spasmodically in a vain attempt to free himself, only to pause as someone grabbed him by the leg and yanked, causing his head to pop out of the ground.

"WHEW!" he gasped, taking in a desperate lungful of air, before spitting out several small dirt clods, shaking his head to clear it of the remains of his burial "Ugh…how can worms eat this stuff?" he wondered, before turning to grin at Happy "Thanks Happy! You saved me!"

"Aye!" Happy saluted, the little blue cat holding up a paw politely "But I didn't save you Natsu," he countered, pointing over the Berry Head's shoulder with a claw "She did!"

"Huh?" Natsu blinked, the dragonslayer turning to look over his shoulder, only to blink at the small girl with long, dark blue hair in a sundress staring back at him "Wendy-chan?"

"Natsu-nii…" Wendy huffed, the look on her face eerily reminiscent to the one Lisanna used when telling off Mirajane as she stood before the elder Dragonslayer, arms crossed before her, one sandaled foot tapping in the dirt "Do you know how much trouble you're in?"

"Aheheh…" Natsu chuckled, grinning unrepentantly up at his adoptive little sister as he rubbed the back of his head "Damn…they found the note already huh?" he wondered, only to blink, looking between Wendy and the cliff he'd just assailed "Uh, Wendy…how'd you get up here?"

"Um…" Wendy stammered, nervous at being put on the spot, only to shake her head and stare fiercely, or as fiercely as she could anyways, into her adopted sibling's confused eyes "Never mind that Natsu-nii!" she insisted, bending down with her fists at her side, getting right in the elder Dragonslayer's face "Everyone's really upset back at the guild! Levy-chan was so worried she was crying!"

"Levy?" Natsu repeated, blinking at the mention of the blue haired bibliophile, a hint of guilt coming to his features "Oh man…I didn't mean to make her cry…"

"And Master Markarov was so upset too!" Wendy insisted, waving a finger for emphasis as she continued her lecture "He said the castle was full of demons and other scary stuff!"

"Demons?" Natsu and Happy exclaimed, looking highly shocked, only for the elder Dragonslayer to grin excitedly and leap to his feet "COOL! Now I gotta check it out!"

"No you don't!" Wendy exclaimed, tugging on the back of Natu's vest, her heels leaving little trails in the dirt as the elder Dragonslayer pulled her along after him "We need to go back right…now?"

She trailed off, eyes widening in shock as she gaped at the scene before her, the two of them, well, three if you counted Happy, gazing at the sight before them in awe.

Five tall, ominous pillars rose out of the ground before them, crooked and slightly arched, set in such a way alongside one another that, from the right perspective, they resembled a giant, clawed hand that had burst out of the ground.

Despite being so far away, the trio had the strange sensation that the peaks were reaching out to them, as if to grab them and drag them back down into the depths. The setting sun shone red behind them, lighting up the sky ahead a dull, coppery red streaked with faint hints of amber.

"The Devil's Hand…" Wendy murmured, the younger Dragonslayer looking on in awe at the sight before her, still gripping the back of Natsu's vest, though more out of comfort than any intention to drag him away.

"Natsu…" Happy whimpered, the little cat, hugging his partner around the neck, his little blue body trembling with fear as he stared at the grisly mountain range "I don't like this…let's go back…"

"You kidding?" Natsu asked, getting over his shock with an excited grin as he leapt forward, racing towards the peak with a cheer "It looks so cool! I gotta get a closer look!"

"Natsu-nii!" Wendy called out, reaching out for the teen as he slipped out of her clutches, racing after him with a look of concern "Wait for me!"

* * *

_In darkness..._

While all this was going on, a very different conversation was being carried out in a room situated deep, DEEP within the confines of Devil's castle.

To first appearances, one would mistake the room for simply another cave. If you looked closer however, you would see shelves and bookcases along the sides, carved from the same stone as the walls. Overhead hung a strange, circular skylight with thick, tinted glass, beneath which was a morbidly impressive desk and high-back chair.

"Igor…" a calm, cultured voice called out, breaking the gloomy, dust-filled silence of the darkened room, a small, balding man with mismatched eyes and buck teeth standing in attendance to the speaker, who's features were hidden as he sat in the high-backed chair, his back to his attendant "It seems we have some visitors…send out the 'Welcoming Party'."

"At once, Count…" the malformed man rasped, his voice dry, with a distinct creak to it, like the sound of a rusty hinge, as he bowed to the figure in the chair, one hand across his waist.

"Perhaps we'll be serving refreshments at the ceremony after all…" the apparent Count noted, chuckling to himself as he set a pair of dark, tinted sunglasses on the desk before him, where a parchment with a picture of a sleeping princess lay before him.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"I can't believe we're doing this…" Gray muttered, the Icemaker dressed, for once, in a plain T-shirt and short pants over his usual boxers, a look of irritation on his face "Hey!" he called out, looking up at Lisanna "Can't you go any faster?"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Lisanna insisted, the Takeover mage having transformed into a large, purple and green bird creature that was carrying both Elfman and Gray in its talons "Elf-nii, you need to go on a diet!"

"Gomen…Lisanna…" Elfman offered, looking downcast as he held onto his younger siblings transformed leg "If only I could do full body takeover's like you and neechan, I could've carried Gray…"

"Don't worry about it, Elf-Nii…" Lisanna as bird assured her elder sibling for what must have been the umpteenth time "You'll figure it out eventually."

"Let's hope it's soon…" Gray muttered, grimacing as he eyed the towering, claw like peaks of the Devil's Hand through the dense fog they'd run into. The siblings, after scouring Magnolia in search of Wendy and Natsu, realized the younger Dragonslayer must have gone off after her adoptive sibling on her own.

Realizing this, they quickly decided that they should give chase as well, only for Gray to intervene, claiming that the Master had the carriages shut down in order to find out where Natsu had gotten off.

After overhearing an interrogation between one surly carriage driver, whose vehicle smelled like refried curry for some reason, they'd decided it would be faster simply to head after Natsu themselves. So after double checking with Levy as to the shortest route to the Devil's Hand, Lisanna had transformed, scooped her sibling and Gray up in her claws, and taken off, cutting straight across the countryside like winged lightning, only to slow down as they entered the Valley that lay before the mountains.

"Mataku…" the Icemaker muttered, peering into the gloomy, clinging fog with a hint of disgust, and nerves if he were honest with himself "Only a hotheaded idiot like Natsu would come to a place like this…"

"What does that make US for following him then?" Lisanna asked coyly, giggling as Gray clammed up, crossing his arms with a huff, only to let out an avian cry of alarm as something, make that several somethings, dropped onto her feathered back.

"Lisanna!" Elfman swore, his Left arm shifting form into a giant, reptilian appendage with scales and claws, which he used to gut one of the horned men with blue, scaled skin that were trying to drag them down "DAMMIT! GET OFF MY SISTER!"

"ICE MAKE: LANCE!" Gray called out, shooting down a pair of them in mid-leap, only for more of them to continue to land on Lisanna's back, causing her to tumble out of the air "Dammit! Lisanna! Hold on!"

"I…I'm sorry…" the avian mage whimpered, the strain from supporting so many, coupled with holding the transformation so long, finally getting to her "Can't…hold…my form…much longer-!"

"Lisanna!" Elfman yelled, only to suddenly find himself in a freefall as his sibling's transformation wore off, the three of them falling towards the valley below, the monsters latching onto them, cackling with glee "LISANNA!"

* * *

_With Natsu, Wendy and Happy..._

"WOW!" Natsu cheered, the berry head grinning in delight as he stared up at the fearsome, mouth like entrance he'd found in the side of the mountain "Check it out Wendy! It looks like a Dragon's mouth!"

"You really think so?" Wendy wondered, peering at the entrance with a curious expression "I don't know Natsu-nii, Grandine's teeth were better cared for than these…" she noted offhandedly, though she had to admit she saw the resemblance in the jagged Stalactites and Stalagmites. Looked at from the right angle, the entrance to the cave DID resemble a Dragon's open mouth, there were even small holes and cracks that simulated it's nostrils and eye sockets, albeit slightly off the mark again.

Happy, who was hugging the younger Dragonslayer, his arms wrapped tightly around her neck, could only whimper in terror, his tail bristling out as he watched their surroundings, looking for the slightest hint of danger.

"Hmm…" Natsu wondered, looking the 'teeth' over carefully "I guess you're right, Igneel always used to clean his teeth after he ate…" he grinned suddenly "I'd hate to have been this guy's dentist, right?"

"Y-yeah…" Wendy murmured, smiling despite herself at her adoptive sibling's attempt at humor as she shivered from the cold "Ano, Natsu-nii, isn't this enough? I think we shouldn't go in any further than-!"

"Maybe it's shaped like guts on the inside!" Natsu wondered, the berry-head's eyes lighting up in that way only little boys got when faced with something others would find disgusting, racing full tilt down the stone head's gullet cheering wildly "C'mon Wendy! Race ya!"

"Natsu-nii!" Wendy exclaimed, racing after her elder adoptive sibling, who stopped to wait for her after a few minutes of frantic running "Don't run too far ahead! You'll get us lost!"

"Aw no we wont!" Natsu countered, rubbing the underside of his nose with a confident smirk on his face "If we get lost we can always follow our noses out! Right, Happy?" he blinked as he realized their feline friend was no longer with them "Happy?"

"GYAH!" came the feline's scream, the adoptive siblings whipping round just in time for him to attach himself to Natsu's face "Natsu! The statue on the wall's looking at me!'

"Huh?" Wendy wondered, blinking in confusion as she looked back the way the flying feline had come from, her eyes landing on a small, gargoyle like figure, who held a strange spear out as if to trip someone up "Oh Happy, it's just a gargoyle…" she assured the feline, who was clinging to Natsu's face despite the berry-head's attempts to pry him off, patting the statue's face for emphasis, "See? It's just stone."

"I would've known if there was something in here." Natsu assured Happy, having finally managed to pull the cat off his face, though Happy's claws had left marks "Can't smell anything in here but rocks and mold."

"But I SAW it!" Happy insisted, his eyes tearing up as he looked between the adoptive sibling's nervously "Wendy's right Natsu! Let's get out of here!"

"After coming all this way?" Natsu countered, the berry head looking surprised at the very idea "No way! If we turn back now, who's gonna rescue the princess?"

"Natsu-nii!" Wendy called out, sighing as the elder Dragonslayer ran off, calling out for them to follow after him if they dared "Mou…what does Lisanna-nee see in him, Happy?"

"W-wait for me!" Happy called out flying after the adoptive siblings as Wendy gave chase down the corridor, the sounds of their footsteps fading away into the distance. Unnoticed by the trio, the eyes of the gargoyle shifted slowly in the direction they'd headed.

* * *

Ah Natsu, never did look before you leapt, did you?

Piccolo: *Off screen* Dammit woman! Get your hands off THOSE ARE MY PANTS!

E-Wendy: I know!

Wendy-chan: Kyugan-san! The other me is doing more things to Piccolo-san!

Kyugan: Lucky bastard...

Nappa: What does it say when a eunuch gets more than you?

Kyugan: *vein pulsing in hair...only to smirk* Mmm...this is a GREAT butterfinger...but I can't finish it all...better throw it away...

Nappa: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!

R&R for more.


	8. Chapter 8

Whew! things look like they're heating up!

let's see where that takes us!

* * *

Chapter 8: Lucifer.

"Ooh…" Lisanna moaned, the silver haired Takeover mage shifting in her slumber as a strange noise caught her attention, her eyes creaking open as she sat up slowly, "What happened?" she wondered, "The last thing I remember…we were flying to the Devil's hand to help Natsu and Wendy-chan…then the ambush…" she flinched as she recalled the horrid, horned creatures that attacked them, rubbing the side of her head from where one had delivered an effective knock out blow to her then avian skull, before turning to take in her surroundings, looking for the sound that roused her.

It soon became apparent that wherever she was, it wasn't where she'd been attacked, as she highly doubted that the swamp that had lay at the bottom of the valley below would've provided so luxurious a landing. The young Wizard was lying on a King size, Four-Poster bed with thick, velvet curtains and silken sheets. The room around her seemed to be made of white marble with gold inlay, in fact, most of the furniture seemed to be lined with gold, from the chest of drawers to the picture frames on the walls, which held rare, likely one of a kind pieces of artwork.

A modulated growl came from the side of the bed, Lisanna's eyes drifting over to land on what appeared to be a large Lacrima Crystal, which was playing a recording of what looked to be a cheesy, black and white monster movie from the old days, the growls of the massive, shadowy horned monster having roused her from her forced slumber.

"This is bizarre…" she muttered, watching as the monster, and the misshapen figure that encountered it in the graveyard, recoiled from one another in mutual terror, only to blink as realization set in "Omigosh!" she cried, eyes going wide "Gray! Elf-Nii-!"

She spun round, planning to clamber off the bed and go looking for her brother and guild mate, only to freeze, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping open like a trapdoor, having come face to face with a face eerily similar to the malformed figure currently cowering before the equally terrified monster on the Lacrima sphere.

Mismatched eyes stared unblinkingly back at her, set in balding head lined with lank, white hair. Buck teeth protruded from under its upper lip, effective covering the lower, set beneath a small, snout like nose. The head was attached to a short, dwarfish body that was partially bent over, more from bad posture than any spinal malformation, the entire thing dressed in a brown butler's outfit, complete with white gloves and spit-shined shoes, the strange little man staring directly at her with an unsettling, yet at the same time vacant, stare.

"Please, don't be alarmed." A calm, charismatic voice assured her, Lisanna's scream fading away as she turned to the source to find a tall man, dressed in white, silken trousers and a black coat standing nearby, pouring tea from a china kettle into two equally expensive cups "Igor is quite harmless, I assure you."

"Where am I?" the youngest Takeover sibling demanded, watching as Igor, as the huinchback was apparently named, shuffled off to the side, before looking up at the taller man as he drew closer "And who are you?"

"Of course," the man offered, smiling kindly as he inclined his head "Forgive me my lack of introductions, my name is Count Lucifer, and as to where you are, you are in one of the rooms set aside for guests." He smiled and held out the tea for her "Here, you must be parched after your nap."

Lisanna frowned, looking up into the strange count's eyes, only to blink as she felt a sense of ease wash over her, a feeling she could trust this strange, handsome, ruby-eyed gentleman. 'Charm Magic!' she realized, averting her eyes from the Count's own, feigning shyness as she accepted the tea with both hands 'Must be powerful stuff if he can use it without a medium…'

"Please, drink up." Lucifer insisted, the count taking a sip from his own teacup as he spoke, a smile on his pale features "I only received this particular blend today, and would value another person's opinion."

'He poured the tea from the same kettle…' Lisanna noted, eyeing the Count's own cup warily before peeking down into her own, all the while continuing to feign shyness 'It doesn't look like he had time to tamper with either of them,' she noted 'and I can't detect any weird magic in the tea, perhaps he's simply the type that relies on charms, magical and otherwise, to attract women?'

"Is it too hot for you?" Lucifer queried, looking up in concern from his own cup, having just taken a good sip of the steaming liquid. Lisanna frowned to herself, deciding to give the man the benefit of the doubt, for now, before shaking her head and taking a cautious sip, finding the tea to be surprisingly good. "Judging from your expression…" the Count chuckled amiably "I take it to be to your liking?"

"It's very good." Lisanna admitted, smiling up at the man, deciding to play along with his game for now, though she made a point to look avoid looking directly into his charmed, crimson eyes "The best I've ever tasted actually."

"I'm glad to hear it." the Count admitted, sinking into a chair Igor dutifully provided with a grateful sigh, the pointy haired aristocrat sipping his own tea with a charismatic smile on his admittedly handsome face "Beautiful." he sighed, inhaling the rich aroma of the beverage with an air of satisfaction "There are few things that one cherishes in this world," he admitted aloud, though he didn't open his eyes "to me, good tea and better company rank among the greatest pleasures one could hope for."

* * *

_Lisanna's POV..._

'This guy's a pro…' Lisanna noted, the silver haired Takeover wizard having been tutored in such comments, along with Levy, Cana and few other girls, including an, at the time, socially clueless Erza, by Mirajane years ago.

The eldest Takeover sibling had warned them, from the start, that despite Charm magic being banned a while back, you would still bump into sleaze balls that would use it to get their way with an untold amount of women.

Of course, once the victim REALIZED they were being affected by a Charm spell, the effect was nullified, but Mirajane had warned them that it was sometimes hard to tell whether or not the magic was being used at all, and had demonstrated such by using the spell on Erza, only for the redhead to somehow resist the effects, the entire lesson degrading into yet another free-for-all, which wasn't helped when Natsu, overhearing the fight, hurled himself into the fray, sending all three sprawling in a tangle of limbs, the berry head somehow winding up in a compromising position between the two, very annoyed elder wizards.

Once the berry head had been stung up like a Piñata, his face like a lump of hamburger meat, and Mira and Erza had reset their clothes, the elder Takeover sibling had gone on to explain the tricks that such people would utilize, claiming it would bring disgrace to the name of Fairy Tail if they allowed themselves to be swept off their feet by 'some old dandy with more money than sense'.

"On that note, I believe I owe you an apology…" Lucifer opined, snapping the silver haired young woman out of her thoughts as he set his steaming cup back on his saucer, loosing a saddened sigh as he shook his spiky head "It seems you had a run in with the castle security…"

"You could say that…" Lisanna admitted, the young Wizard allowing a small frown to adorn her features from behind her cup as she eyed the Count accusingly "They attacked us without warning!"

"Please, forgive them." The Count urged, offering a polite bow he smiled at the girl while still in his chair "They have standing orders to keep anyone from approaching the castle from the valley below. You see, that area is filled with monsters and magical beasts, which makes it dangerous to trespass."

Lisanna shivered, causing Lucifer to chuckle softly "I'll admit they're a little…overly zealous, in their work," he offered, gesturing towards her with one gloved hand "but would you be sitting here talking to me if they had truly wanted you dead?"

"I suppose not…" Lisanna muttered, agreeing with the Count's train of thought, though she wasn't 100% convinced that he wasn't trying to pull a fast one "By the way," she asked, eyeing her surroundings with a mask of concerned curiosity on her face "where are my friends?"

"They're being entertained in another part of the castle." Lucifer admitted, setting his tea aside and snapping his fingers, Igor shuffling back into view to stand beside the stately double doors as the Count rose to his feet with all the grace of a cat, bowing to the silver haired girl with one hand behind his back, the other extending out to her "Shall we join them, milady?"

"Alright…" Lisanna agreed, setting her tea aside and attempting to get up, only to stagger slightly as a brief feeling of vertigo washed over her, only the count's steadying hand keeping her on her feet "Sorry about that…" she stammered, flushing slightly at her own clumsiness, rather than her proximity to the admittedly handsome noble "I feel so dizzy…"

"It's the altitude…" Igor croaked, the hunchbacked servant's voice like a raspy, rusting door hinge, as if he hardly ever spoke "Your blood is a lot thinner up here…"

'That's reassuring…' Lisanna mumbled, looking from the deformed manservant to the charismatic count with a hint of trepidation 'There's something fishy going on here…'

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"Wow…" Natsu whistled, the elder Dragonslayer looking around in amazement at the vast, underground arena like structure they'd ventured into "Is this place awesome or what?"

Wendy said nothing, too enawed by the sheer size of the area they'd stumbled into. It was easily as large as Magnolia's city square, if not larger, with various pillars standing scattered around, their sides carved with grotesque faces and demonic hieroglyphics.

"Hey…" Natsu called out suddenly, the elder Dragon Slayer's hackles rising as he turned to glare into the shadows, Wendy's own stance readying as their nostril's twitched "You smell that?"

"Yeah…" Wendy admitted, a little more hesitantly than her elder sibling, though she stood at the ready nonetheless, prepared to fight or flee as the situation required "There's a lot of them…"

"A lot of what?" Happy demanded, looking decidedly LESS than his name implied as he hovered fretfully between the pair, only to cry out in terror as a trumpet call heralded a veritable horde of demons charging out of the shadows "GAAAH!"

"YOSH!" Natsu cheered, punching his fists together with a confident grin "Alright! Wendy, you take the left, I'll take the right, and Happy, you go right up the middle!"

"Natsu-nii, move!" Wendy ordered, the younger, more sensible Dragonslayer grabbing her elder sibling's scarf and dragging him, kicking and choking in protest, behind a pillar, out of sight and mind as the demons charged past.

"GACK!" the berry head exclaimed, loosening his scarf just enough that he'd be able to breath, looking at his adoptive sibling in confusion "What'd you do that for, Wendy? We coulda taken them!"

"There were too many, Natsu-nii!" Wendy insisted, shaking her head as she pulled the elder Dragonslayer lower to avoid detection "Plus we don't know how many there really are! What if there's an entire army?"

"Hmm…" Natsu wondered, the gears in his head turning as he saw the logic in the younger Dragonslayer's words "I guess you're right…it'd make sneaking in to rescue the princess harder…"

"What's this about sneaking in?" a voice growled, the trio flinching, looking round only to gape at the massive, horned demon creature standing behind them, dressed in what looked like a breastplate and skirt, holding what looked like a golden cannonball on a stick in each hand, with a pink silk scarf hovering around it "Care to repeat that?"

"You bet!" Natsu exclaimed, standing up and pointing defiantly at the beast "We're here to rescue the princess! So let her go or else we'll…" he trailed off, looking down at his leg in confusion, where a little pink puffball with wings and a tail was trying to assault his leg with it's fangs…doing virtually no damage despite it's best efforts.

"Huh, cocky little punk aren't cha?" the larger demon muttered, sounding oddly amused by the whole spectacle "Leave now, and you'll live!"

"Like hell!" Natsu countered, still pointing at the larger demon with a scowl on his face, even as he shook his leg, trying to dislodge the little annoyance that was still trying to pierce his pants to get at the flesh beneath "You don't scare me horn head! You're the one that better release the princess before I beat the snot outta ya!"

"The Princess?" the demon repeated, only to snicker darkly, a mocking smirk crossing it's scaled features, even as it broke out into mocking laughter "You little idiot! The princess isn't a person!"

"Liar!" Happy declared, even as Natsu and Wendy blinked at the demon in confusion, only for the feline to recoil behind his partner's head as the demon glared at him for doubting his word, a trumpet call heralding the horde from before returning.

"Here they come!" Natsu muttered, only to yelp, his hands going to his head as the little pink annoyance from earlier latched onto his head, the elder Dragonslayer dancing around trying to dislodge the pest, narrowly managing to avoid the scarf sporting demon's club as it smashed down between him and Wendy, the force of the impact dislodging his assailant "Why you little-!"

"Eyes front boy!" the scarf sporting demon roared, swinging his impromptu weapon at Natsu, who barely managed to jump over it, causing the demon to smash through a pillar behind the Dragonslayer, which dropped evenly without toppling over.

* * *

_Wendy's POV..._

"Natsu-nii!" Wendy exclaimed, the sky Dragonslayer ducking and weaving as she lashed out at the hordes of demons that charged them en masse, taking them down quick and easy as she'd been taught, using her smaller size to her advantage as she ducked between legs, arms and grabs to avoid their attempts at capturing her, Happy having taken to the skies already to escape.

Meanwhile, Natsu was teasing the larger, scarf sporting demon, dodging the horned monster's attempts to flatten him with his maces whilst delivering the occasional flame enhanced punch or kick, not to mention a few burning taunts that were slowly but surely making the demon's blood boil, throwing it's aim off as it's anger rose to new heights.

"HOLD STILL YOU LITTLE FIREFLY!" it snapped, smashing through yet another pillar with it's weapon, leaving a small, for it, opening that Natsu had no hesitation stepping in to take advantage of.

"Karyuu:" the teen declared, his fist enveloped with a larger flame as he propelled himself forwards with flames coming out of his feet and elbows "TEKKEN!"

The punch slammed into the demon's midriff, it's golden eyes widening in shock as it suddenly flew backwards, slamming into a pile of Demons that had been about to ambush Wendy, who delivered a sharp blow to the demon she was fighting's nuts, sending it toppling down, foaming at the mouth.

"Wendy!" Natsu cheered, racing forwards with his feet aflame, leaping over his sibling's head as he delivered a flaming kick to another demon's face "GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER YOU FREAKS!"

"Natsu-nii!" Wendy exclaimed, only to blink as Happy rolled past, locked in mortal combat with the little pink thing from earlier. From what could bee seen it seemed like an even match-up.

"Whadd'ya think, Wendy?" Natsu asked, the berry-head grinning confidently over his shoulder as they stood back-to-back "Think we can take 'em all down?"

"Don't count your chickens did!" a familiar voice mocked, the dup looking up to see the big red demon from before striding towards them, looking more amused than ever as the smaller demons made way for him "That was a nice little attack you have there…to bad demons are FIRE PROOF!"

"WHA?" Natsu exclaimed, looking around in alarm as the demons he'd assaulted got back on their feet, looking a little sooty, but otherwise unharmed "NO FAIR!"

"We're demon's kid!" the horned monster cackled, waving his hands intricately, before pointing at the pair with one clawed finger "WE DON'T PLAY FAIR!"

"WENDY!" Natsu yelled, tackling his sister out of the way as the demon's silk scarf extended, the trio looking on in shock as the apparently harmless silken projectile sliced through a pillar like Erza carving through a cake "Oh man…" the Dragonslayer swallowed, looking up as the demon attacked again "This looks like trouble…"

* * *

_With Lisanna again..._

'Wow…' Lisanna wondered, the youngest of the Takeover siblings taking in the bizarre, almost intimidating designs on the walls of the hallway they were passing through 'Can this place get any creepier?'

"Igor is responsible for the Castle's…Baroque Décor." Lucifer explained, the Count leading the way through down the darkened hallway, a silver staff topped with a golden Lacrima gem held behind his back "I hope you don't find it too…unsettling?"

"Not at all…" Lisanna assured the Count, keeping her tone polite, though laced with an undertone of nervousness to keep the man guessing, even as the misshapen manservant brought up the rear "I find it…interesting."

"I'm glad to hear it," the Count admitted "My castle has been host to many magnificent guests," he admitted, his tone sending involuntary shivers down her spine "But I count you among the most…beautiful."

"Oh stop teasing me…" Lisanna gushed, internally retching as she held her cheeks, having been warned by Mirajane that such lines usually meant the guy was a sleaze that got around more than a case of the flu "You're making me blush!"

"That just means your blood is rushing to your head…" Igor croaked, the malformed manservant following at her heels, his eyes locked on his master's back.

'Sheesh, well there's a good way to kill the mood.' Lisanna muttered, eyeing the manservant over her shoulder 'Might explain why the Count's laying the charm on so thick if THIS guy keeps coming out with such charming one-liners.'

"Please forgive Igor's lack of finesse," the count offered, his tone amused, as if sensing the young wizard's distaste despite not turning round "He considers himself somewhat of a scientist, a blood expert, you might say…"

'Why doesn't that reassure me any?' Lisanna muttered, shivering slightly as she eyed the little troll warily, only to pull up short as Lucifer paused before another large set of double doors, turning to face the pair of them with a kind smile.

"Here we are," the Count stated, bowing to Lisanna once again as the double doors creaked open, the hand that held his staff placed over his heart while he gestured invitingly to the room on the other side with his free hand "Please, Come."

Lisanna did so, some unknown sense of premonition sending shivers up her spine as she stepped forward, only to blink as she gaped at the massive amphitheatre before her, hundreds, if not thousands of the horned creatures that attacked her and the others lining each and every floor as they leered down at her, their eyes glowing and teeth bared as they grew agitated with her arrival.

Above them, a giant glass skylight lit the room with a faint, filtered light, which shone down on a raised, silken tent like structure, which rested on a raised podium, which was carved to look like it was being supported by gargoyles, a red carpet leading up the steps to the silken structure.

One of the monsters, dressed in a well-cut tux, bowed towards Lisanna as she was led towards the base of the steps, offering her a seat in the golden chair he'd apparently provided for her. 'If looks could kill…' Lisanna muttered, grimacing at the golden glare in the monster's eyes, despite the gentility with which it helped her sit 'I don't see Elf-nii or Gray anywhere either…'

"My friends!" Lucifer called out, his voice magically amplified so he could address the entire amphitheatre without straining himself "I bid you silence, please!" he gestured towards Lisanna "We have an honored guest with us this evening, I would like to introduce you all to the lovely, Miss Lisanna."

'How did he learn my name?' Lisanna wondered, frowning in suspicion as the multitude of demons broke out into bizarre calls, which sounded like mocking laughter to her 'I'm getting a bad feeling about this…'

"You're right to feel concerned, Lisanna-chan…" Lucifer noted, the count waving at his minions all the while, a small smile adorning his features "One can never really tell what this wild bunch are thinking…"

"What're they laughing at?" Lisanna demanded, moving to sit up, only for the demon at her side to place a restraining hand on her shoulder, forcibly keeping her in the chair "What's going on here?"

"They're laughing, Lisanna-chan…" Lucifer revealed with his back to her, his tone as polite as ever, though now it contained an undertone of malice "Because it seems you've yet to grasp the…POINT, of our little gathering…"

Lisanna blinked, only to look over to the side, her eyes widening as she espied Igor waddling up towards her with the biggest Hypodermic Needle she'd ever seen tucked under one arm.

"Looks like you finally grasped it…" Lucifer chuckled, turning to face the young Takeover mage as the strange, gossamer wires erupted from the back of the chair, wrapping around the startled girl's shoulders, legs and midriff, effectively binding the silver haired wizard in place "You see, we have a special ceremony coming up…" the Count explained, Lisanna looking up in horror as his handsome features become sharper, thinner, more savage, as he sneered at her with fangs bared "and we were hoping to borrow some of your blood for a toast!"

* * *

Can Lisanna make it out of this in one piece?

And can Natsu and Wendy make it to her in time?

What happened to Gray and Elfman?

Review to find out!


	9. Chapter 9

Been a while since this update huh?

In any case, last time, we left Lisanna with the creepy count Lucifer.

Let's see how that works out...

* * *

Chapter 9: Congregation.

"No!" Lisanna cried out, the silver haired young wizard struggling within the confines of her chair, as the monsters cackled all around her "Let me out of here!"

"Struggle all you want," Lucifer mocked, his charismatic tone replaced with a savage one that suited his new appearance just as well as the old one had "those threads are strong enough to hold an elephant suspended in mid-air, no mere human can break them with physical strength alone, let alone a silly little girl!"

"Good thing I'm not just any 'Silly Little Girl' then, isn't it?" Lisanna shot back, smirking up at the count as she felt her magic rise up within her, only to blink, her cheeks bulging out as she retched, the feeling vanishing almost instantly.

"Surprised?" Lucifer demanded, his tone mocking and cold "You think my men would be so negligent to inform me that you were a wizard?" he stepped forwards, bending over slightly to grip her chin between finger and thumb, forcing her to look up at him "Forgive my trespasses, but I added a little something to the cup of tea I gave you, a little…insurance, to keep you from calling up your magic for a while."

"But…" Lisanna muttered, still feeling queasy from her earlier attempt, having been struck by a wave of nausea when she tried to summon her magic "You…drank it too…"

"So I did…" Lucifer agreed, his tone smug, "There was nothing wrong with the tea, did I not mention that good tea was one of my few pleasures?" he smirked at he ferally "No my dear, what I 'drugged' was the cups themselves, save for a small corner where I could safely enjoy my beverage without fear of consuming the toxin."

Lisanna spat at him, Lucifer recoiling in anger, the monstrous Count delivering a scathing blow to her cheek with the palm of his gloved hand, before turning his back on her, wiping his face with a red handkerchief he removed from his jacket pocket.

"Now then…" he called out, spreading his arms wide as he faced his subjects "Let, the Ceremony…BEGIN!"

* * *

Amongst the gathered demons, who were roaring animatedly amongst themselves, there stood two figures that weren't cheering ferally at the Count's words.

"That Sunnuva-!" Elfman grit out, the elder Takeover sibling's teeth clenched so tight he was likely to crack a few as he gripped the side of the pillar he'd been hiding behind "I'll wring his bony neck for that!"

"Easy there Elfman!" Gray hissed, the Icemaker struggling to pull the larger wizard back into hiding before someone saw them and raised the alarm "I can feel where you're coming from, believe me." He insisted "But there are too many of them for just the two of us to handle…we need to work out a plan if we wanna get Lisanna out of there."

Elfman growled, torn between his desire to rescue his sister, and his desire to rip Lucifer to small, bloody chunks for daring to lay a finger on her, but held back, his reason overriding bloodlust, for now, though the silver haired teen promised himself that if Lucifer touched his younger sibling just one more time, they wouldn't be able to fit what was left of the Count into a thimble.

'Not good…' Gray muttered, the Icemaker eyeing his older partner with a look of apprehension in his eyes 'Elfman's ready to blow a gasket…I don't think he'll last much longer.' He grimaced as he eyed the hoard of demons between them and Lisanna 'There's no way we stand a chance against this lot…we nearly died fighting our way in here through that swamp…'

Unlike Lisanna, who'd been brought to Lucifer's 'guest quarters' by the minions, Gray and Elfman had been left for dead, along with the unfortunate demons that fell with them, in the swamp, the survivors opting to abandon their comrades and the male intruders to the jungle creatures below.

Fortunately, Elfman had managed to morph his arm into something with a wing, allowing him to glide down, Gray tucked securely under the other arm, while the less fortunate demons fell to their deaths.

The pair had then fought their way through survivors and various swamp critters until they reached the foot of the mountain, where a pair of sentries kept watch over a small exit, big enough for anything vaguely man shaped, but small enough to keep the other swamp critters out.

'As it is, we're probably both running low on magic and stamina…' Gray muttered, his breath coming in low, ragged gasps as he glared at the count from behind his pillar, wracking his brains as to what to do 'Dammit all…' he cursed 'Where in the hell are you, Natsu?'

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"This way!" Natsu called out, the elder Dragonslayer dragging Wendy along after him as they raced down the gargoyle lined corridor, the red demon and his lackeys hot on their heels "I can smell water and fresh air up ahead…" he wrinkled his nose at the smell of swamp gas "Well…at least it's breathable…"

"Natsu-nii!" Wendy called out, her eyes widening as she pulled on his hand, the elder Dragonslayer pulling up short just in time to avoid tumbling over the edge of the embankment as the tunnel gave way to a massive drop, the trio peering over the edge of the precipice, sweatdropping at the sound of running water far below.

"That was a close one…" Natsu muttered, shaking his head in disbelief, as he stepped back, only to blink as something grabbed him by the shoulders, lookin up in alarm as a giant, winged monster with two serpent like heads took off with him "HOLY-!"

"NATSU!" Happy wailed, the little blue cat looking on in horror as the monster took off with his best friend, his wings sprouting as he gave chase desperately "Hang on!"

"LEMME GO YOU WINGED SNAKE!" Natsu snarled, the berry-head struggling in the monster's grip, only to turn his head to the side after his fists failed to have much effect and bite down on one of it's toes, HARD.

The monster shrieked, both heads rearing back with a strangled, squawking cry of pain, the talons holding Natsu hostage releasing him as the beast flew off in a hurry.

"Heh!" Natsu snickered, crossing his arms confidently as he watched the winged serpent retreat in a flurry of wings "Showed HIM who's boss…" he bragged, only to blink, looking down in alarm as he fell towards the water below, his eyes widening in horror as giant mouth, reminiscent of a crocodiles maw, rose out of the water to greet him "GAH-!" he yelped, waving his arms desperately "FLY! NEED TO FLY!"

"NATSU!" a voice called out, the berry-head feeling something grab the back of his jacket in mid-fall, yanking him out of the path of the jaws as they snapped shut on air, disappearing back into the water without a sound.

"Whew…" Natsu whistled, slumping in relief as the adrenaline from the fall faded away, leaving him drained as he wiped his brow "Close one there…you saved me, Happy."

"Aye!" Happy cheered, the little blue cat hovering in front of Natsu's face "I'm not the one that saved you Natsu!"

"Eh?" Natsu blinked, gaping at his winged, feline companion in confusion, before looking over his shoulder, eyes widening as they landed on his rescuer "W-Wendy?"

"Are you okay…" Wendy panted, looking like she'd just run a marathon as she held onto the elder Dragonslayer's jacket "Natsu-nii?"

"Uh…yeah…" Natsu exclaimed, blinking up at his younger, adoptive sibling in surprise, only to shake his head "Wait, forget that!" he exclaimed, his tongue like a flickering flame as he gaped at her "Wendy! You're FLYING!"

"Ah!" Wendy gasped, the two of them dipping slightly in mid-air as Natsu's struggling caused her to lose concentration "N-Natsu-nii…please…don't move like that…" she set her brow as she struggled to keep afloat "It's hard enough holding you up as it is…"

"R-Right…" Natsu stammered, settling down, much to Wendy's relief as they continued to hover in mid-air "But man," he exclaimed "I didn't know you could fly Wendy! Where'd you learn that?"

"Um…" Wendy stammered, wondering how she could get out of this one without lying or breaking the promise she made to Piccolo to keep his secret.

"AH!" Natsu exclaimed, tapping his palm with his fist "I get it! Grandine must've taught you, right?" he sighed exasperatedly "Ah man, that's so not fair…wish Igneel'd taught me how fly too, then I wouldn't need to use vehicles ever again!"

"Um…" Wendy stammered, looking at the downcast expression on her adoptive sibling's features in concern, and a little guilt "Ano…I could show you how…if you like?"

"REALLY?" Natsu exclaimed, looking up at her with wide eyes filled with excitement, Wendy suddenly finding herself on the receiving end of a bone crushing hug "YEAH! YOU'RE THE BEST LITTLE SISTER A GUY COULD WANT!"

"N-Natsu-nii!" Wendy exclaimed, her face lighting up from the compliment as she patted the elder Dragonslayer on the back "C-can't…breath…"

"Whoops…" Natsu chuckled, releasing her with an apologetic grin, though he still held onto her to keep from falling "Sorry about that…" he offered "Really though, thanks for the save, that thing would be digesting me by now if you hadn't grabbed me."

"Aye!" Happy agreed, raising a paw in the air as he hovered before them "Though knowing Natsu, you'd probably would've been to hot for it to handle!"

"That's true!" Natsu grinned, only to blink as he spotted something coming towards them from over the flying feline's shoulder "Oh you GOTTA be KIDDING ME!"

* * *

_Behind them..._

"HOLD IT!" the red demon roared, riding towards them on a pair of fireballs, twirling a spear in one hand as it bore down on the trio with vengeance in his eyes.

"Like HELL!" Natsu swore, giving him the finger "Wendy!" he called out, looking up at the startled girl commandingly "Get us outta here!"

"H-HAI!" Wendy agreed, suddenly diving fast, Happy hot on her heels as they ducked under the demon's spear strike, the big red horror growling as he spun round and gave chase, his fireballs carrying him towards the trio at an impressive speed.

"What does it take to keep this guy down?" Natsu swore, glaring over his shoulder at the horned pest, only to blink as an idea formed in his head, "Wendy!" he instructed, looking up at the younger Dragonslayer "Take us down! Towards the water!"

"E-eh?" Wendy wondered, blinking in confusion, only to yelp and tilt out of the path of a spear thrust that narrowly missed her shoulder "O-OKAY!"

"Hey! UGLY!" Natsu taunted over his shoulder, making faces at their horned tormentor as the demon gave chase "Your mama's belly button sticks out!"

"YOU LITTLE PUNK!" the demon raged, his face getting redder, if that was even possible, in his rage "HOW'D YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?"

"Uh…I didn't…?" the Fire Dragonslayer stammered, honestly surprised by this strange turn of events, only to shake his head as they neared the water below "Wendy…When I give the signal, let me go!"

"But Natsu-nii!" the Sky Dragonslayer exclaimed, looking down at her adoptive sibling in alarm "IF I do that and you fall-!"

"NOW!" Natsu called out, spinning himself round as Wendy released her grip with a startled cry the Fire Dragonslayer releasing a burst of flame from his feet, propelling him towards the enraged demon.

"You little punk!" the demon roared, swiping at the berry-head with his spear, only to curse as Natsu dropped down towards the water below "Feh…oh well…food for the fishes." He sneered up at Wendy "And you're next you little-!"

He staggered, letting out a cry of alarm as he fell out of the air, looking down at his feet, only to see his fireballs had vanished, his eyes widening as he fell past a smirking Natsu, who was stuffing the fireballs into his mouth while Happy, who'd grabbed him by the back of his jacket, supported the berry head in mid-air.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!" the demon roared, pointing at Natsu's face, intending to send his scarf to slice the smile off it, only to gape in horror as the giant, crocodile maw from before returned, his screams of terror cutting off as the jaws clamped shut over him, his pink scarf trailing limply from between it's teeth as they submerged beneath the surface of the water.

* * *

_as the water settles..._

"Thanks for the meal…" Natsu called out, stuffing the last of the demon's fire into his mouth and chewing thoroughly, his face screwing up in disgust as he swallowed "Too bad it taste's like toenails…"

"Natsu-nii!" Wendy exclaimed, the Sky Dragonslayer coming down to hover before her adoptive sibling in concern "Are you alright? I was so worried!"

"Ah nothing to it, Wendy-chan!" Natsu grinned, the berry head making a muscle poses as he hovered in mid-air "All in a day's work for a Fairy Tail Wizard!"

"Still," Wendy murmured, the younger Dragonslayer looking at the elder with concern, unshed tears in her eyes "What if you'd missed?"

"I wouldn't have missed!" Natsu insisted, grinning confidently "And even if I had, Happy would've caught me WAY before I got close to the water!"

"Natsu…" Happy called out, the little blue feline's tone completely calm as he tried to catch his partner's attention "I have something important to say…"

"Huh?" Natsu blinked, the two Dragonslayers looking over the berry-head's shoulder at their feline friend in confusion "What's up, Happy?"

"My transformation's worn off." Happy revealed, a pleased little smile on his feline face as his wings shrunk with an audible pop, causing Natsu to hang in open air for a split second, before falling towards the water with a scream.

"NATSU-NII!" Wendy exclaimed, diving rapidly, catching up to her flailing sibling, who looked like he was trying to fly by flapping his arms real fast, snatching him and Happy out of the air even as the massive jaws reappeared for the third time, snapping shut on air once again before retreating back beneath the water.

"Good grief…" Wendy sighed, looking down at her panicked friends as they hugged each other in terror "I can't go anywhere with you two, can I?"

* * *

_Back in the auditorium..._

"MY FRIENDS!" Lucifer called out, spreading his arms wide, his face reverted back to the charismatic, handsome visage from earlier "Monsters and the Living dead, lend me your ears!" he smirked to the crowd as they settled down somewhat "Tonight, we shall share a toast together," he gestured towards the captive Lisanna "Thanks to the beautiful Lisanna-CHAN," he emphasized the mocking title "Who has supplied the refreshments for this MOMENTOUS occasion!"

Elfman growled, the elder Takeover sibling decked out in a suit of armor similar to those of the monsters, even going so far as to partially transform his body to match their grotesque appearance, his fingers digging grooves into the marble pillar he was hiding behind as he watched Igor dab a disinfected cotton ball between his little sister's breasts. It didn't matter to him that the little troll was only doing it to prevent infection, despite the fact that considering the size of the needle, Lisanna wouldn't be alive to care, but more along the lines that the little freak was not only touching his little sister, but in a way that was clearly unacceptable.

Coupled with the fact that said sibling was currently tied to a chair, against her will, and drugged to boot, and this made fit very, VERY hard for Gray to keep the volatile elder brother from leaping in and tearing every living thing in the room a new arsehole or three.

"Tonight!" Lucifer called out, the Count spreading his arms wide with a victorious look in his glowing crimson eyes "The Princess, shall AWAKEN!"

"Princess?" Lisanna exclaimed, the young Takeover wizard blinking in confusion as she turned her gaze up to the raised dais "OMIGOSH! The Princess from the story!"

"Igor!" Lucifer called out, rounding on the bound, helpless 'guest of honor' with a confident smirk on his face, aiming his staff at her face "It's time!"

Lisanna flinched, looking down in dawning horror as the little troll waddled to the fore, aiming the tip of the giant needle between her breasts, roughly where her heart was pumping away furiously, struggling against her bonds in a futile attempt to break free.

"That does it!" Elfman growled, the elder brother's features a mask of fury as he pushed past Gray and stormed broke cover, his arm morphing into that of a muscular iron limb as he ran "LISANNA!"

"Dammit!" Gray cursed, the Icemaker stepping out awkwardly from behind a pillar on account of the bulky armor he was wearing, complete with helmet to hide his appearance, lifting the visor up and placing his fist on his extended palm as he gathered his magic "Ice Make:…!"

An explosion on the upper levels stopped everyone in their tracks, the demons and humans alike looking up as a small crowd of demons was blasted off the upper floor, courtesy of a flaming foot to the face.

"YAHAHA!" Natsu cackled, looking on as the demon's fell before him like stones, the berry-head hanging suspended from Wendy's hands "Take that! Aerial Karyuu no Kakitsume!"

"N-Natsu-nii…" the younger Dragonslayer gasped, sweat adorning her brow as she panted for breath "No more…can't…"

"Eh? Wendy?" Natsu wondered, looking up at the younger Dragonslayer in concern, only to yelp as Wendy seemingly passed out, the two of them dropping through the air like a pair of guided missiles "GAH! HAPPY USE AERA NOW!"

"My magic's not returned yet!" Happy countered, looking up at the berry head as if this was another human problem "Try landing on your feet, Natsu!"

"DAMN!" Natsu swore, grabbing Wendy and hugging her tight to his chest, glaring down at the cavern floor below, only to blink as he espied the tent-like structure off to the side "There!" he grunted, his cheeks bulging out as he aimed his back to the structure "Karyuu no: HOUKO!"

A gout of flame erupted from the teen's mouth, propelling him towards the tent like a rocket, Natsu's head punching through the expensive looking fabric like a spear, the duo vanishing inside, even as the sound of something impacting off a hard surface echoed through the amphitheatre.

"Was that…Natsu?" Elfman stammered, the elder Takeover Sibling blinking up at the tent along with the rest of the stunned demon hordes, beads of sweat running down the side of their heads at the bizarre scene that had just unfurled.

"Has to be him…" Gray muttered, smirking to himself beneath his helmet despite the annoyance in his tone as he shook his head "He's the only one who'd make such a flashy entrance and then screw up the landing."

"Natsu…" Lisanna stated, the silver haired girl's eyes watering up at the sight of her childhood friend and secret crush "I knew he'd come…"

"The Princess!" Lucifer called out, the Count recovering from his shock much faster than his stunned minions, aiming his staff at the tent with a look of fury "Don't just stand there you idiots! Secure the Princess!"

"Y'hear that Gray?" Elfman whispered, the partially transformed wizard leaning over to whisper to the shorter Icemaker out the corner of his mouth "Looks like there really IS a princess!"

"Not our problem right now!" Gray countered, the shorter mage shaking his head from side to side as he eyed the demon's gathering around the bottom of the podium with a look of apprehension "First we need to get Lisanna outta there, then we can worry about the Princess."

"What about Natsu and Wendy-chan?" Elfman wondered, the partially transformed wizard turning to look up at the tent in concern, as the demons gathered round it were carrying all sorts of weapons, let alone the fact that Lucifer's ruby-red eyes seemed to be glowing an ominous crimson in the gloom of the amphitheatre.

"That hothead can take care of himself." Gray muttered, partially out of annoyance, and partially out of confidence as he waved a hand dismissively in the tent's direction "He's a Dragonslayer after all." He smirked beneath his helmet "No, more than that, He's a member of Fairy Tail!"

Elfman blinked, his malformed features gaping down at the shorter mage in awe, before nodding his head in understanding, turning his back to the tent as he made his way, inconspicuously, towards the chair where his little sister was being held captive.

'Hang on, Natsu…' Gray urged within his head as the Icemaker followed in the larger wizard's wake 'We'll back you up once Lisanna's in the clear!'

* * *

A little short, but it move the plot along nicely.

Who is this sleeping princess everyone keeps going on about.

What did the demon mean when he said she wasn't human?

Can Natsu and the others rescue Lisanna?

Tune in next time to find out!


	10. Chapter 10

As we left our heroes, they had just bravely barged into the scene of Lucifer's plot to rescue the captured princess!

Lisanna: Ano...

Kyugan: Work with me sweety, this is Natsu we're talking about.

* * *

Chapter 10: Sleeping Princess.

"Ite-!" Natsu grit out, the berry-head sitting up and rubbing his head tenderly with one hand, the other holding a passed out Wendy against his chest "What's this tent made out of?" he demanded, tears leaking out of his eyes from the pain "Almost busted my head open!"

"Mn…" Wendy moaned, the younger Dragonslayer blinking dazedly up at her adoptive elder sibling as she came back around "Natsu-nii?" she called out, blinking up at him in confusion "What happened?"

"Wendy!" Natsu cheered, the berry-head's pain instantly forgotten as he hugged his adoptive little sister tightly to himself "Aw man, don't scare me like that!"

"G-Gomen…" Wendy offered, the younger Dragonslayer blushing slightly from the concern in the elder's tone, before eyeing the bump on his head in alarm "You're hurt!"

"Aw it's nothing!" Natsu insisted, knowing she'd simply exhaust herself using her Sky magic to heal it "Just bumped my head on something when I punched through the tent."

"N-Natsu…" Happy called out, the little cat's voice trembling in awe from the other side of the Tent as the Dragonslayer siblings turned to look for him, only to gape as their eyes landed on the source of his distress.

"HOLY!" Natsu exclaimed, the berry-head's eyes wide and glittering as he gaped at the massive, flawless diamond resting on a clawed pedestal before them "Look at the size of that thing!"

"Pretty!" Wendy exclaimed, gaping at the gem in awe, reaching out hesitantly to touch it, even as Natsu and Happy made faces at one a another on either side of it, laughing at the distorted images they saw "I wonder how much it costs?"

"A LOT I bet!" Natsu grinned, high-fiving Happy as the partners in crime cackled in glee, only to blink as his sharp hearing detected motion outside, peering through a gap in the curtains to see what the commotion was "Uh oh…"

"YOU IN THE TENT!" an angry, charismatic voice called out, the speaker a well dressed man with spiky hair and glowing crimson eyes "COME OUT OF THE PRINCESS' TENT WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!"

"The Princess?" Natsu blinked, the little pyromaniac pulling back to look around the otherwise abandoned tent in confusion "Where is she? Hey Happy, do you see her anywhere?"

"Maybe she's invisible!" Happy exclaimed the little cat's eyes widening with alarm as another thought occurred to him "AH! Natsu! What if we landed on her when we fell in?"

"Aw man!" Natsu exclaimed, slapping his hands over his head in horror as he realized the reason for the bump on his noggin "PRINCESS!" he called out "I DUNNO IF YOU CAN HEAR ME CAUSE YOUR ASLEEP, BUT SORRY!"

"N-Natsu-nii…" Wendy called out, the younger Dragonslayer drawing the elder's attention to her as she stood in front of the diamond "I…I think this diamond IS the Princess…"

"EH?" Natsu and Happy exclaimed, looking between the younger Dragonslayer and the doubtless priceless gem in confusion "You mean…he turned her into a diamond?"

"THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!" the ruby-eyed nobleman called out, his anger growing increasingly more evident by the second "YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS BEFORE WE KILL THE HOSTAGE!"

"Hostage?" Natsu blinked, looking through the gap in the tent folds to see what was going on, only to gape in horror at the sight below "EH? LISANNA? What's SHE doing HERE?

"Oh no!" Wendy exclaimed, clapping a hand over her mouth "She must have followed you here from the guild, like I did!" she looked up at Natsu in concern "What do we do, Natsu-nii?"

"Well we aren't letting that freak get his hands on THIS, that's for sure!" Natsu growled, grabbing the Princess diamond and thrusting it into Wendy's hands "Happy!" he ordered, "Get Wendy outta here!" he punched his flaming fists together "I'm gonna break Lisanna out, and then we'll catch up with you on the way out!"

"Aye!" Happy saluted, his wings popping back into existence as he grabbed the startled Wendy by the back of her dress, flying her out the hole in the tent's roof.

"NATSU-NII!" Wendy called out, looking on helplessly as Natsu leapt out to face the demons head on, unable to do anything but watch as Happy carried her off.

* * *

_Outside the Tent... _

"Dammit!" Lucifer snarled, the Count's ruby-eyes glaring up at the retreating forms as Happy hauled furry ass out of dodge, dragging a protesting Wendy after him through the air "Don't just stand there you idiots! Get after them!"

"NOT SO FAST!" Natsu roared, the elder Dragonslayer leaping out from the tent with his fists ablaze, landing a stunning right cross to the face of one of the closer demons, standing over it's fallen form whilst roaring defiance "YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH ME…First?" he stammered, blinking down at the demon he'd just clobbered in confusion "Waitaminute…" he muttered, bending down to sniff it's swirly-eyed face "I know this smell…"

"Get that little punk!" Lucifer snapped, the ruby-eyed Count aiming his Lacrima-topped staff at the berry-head commandingly, before waving an arm in the air to direct the rest of his demonic minions "The rest of you, to me!"

"HEY!" Natsu yelled, the elder Dragonslayer glaring after the spiky-haired nobleman as he led a small horde of demons towards the tunnel Happy had flown into "YOU STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THEM!"

"NATSU!" Lisanna called out, the Silver haired takover sibling straining in her seat as she tried to break free, cursing her self for landing in this predicament "Wait for me!"

"Just sit tight Lisanna!" Natsu called out, the elder Dragonslayer yelling at the girl over his shoulder as he raced off after Lucifer and his goons with a snarl "Help's on the way!"

"Natsu!" Lisanna called out, looking after the retreating Dragonslayer in confusion, only to start kicking wildly as he ran off "OOH THAT BOY!" she muttered "Sit tight! Like I have a choice!"

"Calm down Lisanna…" a familiar voice whispered, the silver haired wizard turning in confusion to find a person, shorter than the others, but taller than Igor, standing at her side, wearing an iron helmet over it's features "It's me, Gray!"

"Gray…?" a raspy voice repeated, the pair stiffening, looking over the wizard's shoulder to see Igor peering up at them suspiciously "That's a strange name…"

"Uh…Yessir!" the disguised Icemaker muttered, waving his arms defensively as he tried, and failed, to look natural, aka, like a demon "I'm uh…one of the new recruits!"

"Is that right?" Igor wondered, his vacant stare suddenly focusing to hawk like proportions, as he peered at the suddenly nervous 'demon' "I've never seen you before…and where's your armor?"

"Huh?" Gray wondered, peering down at himself, only for his eyes to bulge out of his helmet as he realized, other than the aforementioned helmet and his boxers, he was completely naked "AW CRAP I DID IT AGAIN!"

"I can vouch for him sir." Another voice spoke up, Gray's body relaxing as Elfman walked up, only to freak out again as he saw the Takeover mage rubbing his jaw where Natsu had punched him, apparently unaware that his transformation had worn off from the blow "Despite the fact he likes to take his clothes off, and run around naked, he's as tough as they come!"

"Elf-nii…Your shape…" Lisanna sighed, slumping in exasperation as the two were surrounded on all sides by gun-toting demons "Some rescue this turned out to be…"

"Take them to the torture chambers!" Igor ordered, a look of vacant glee forming on the malformed manservant's face as he watched the humans stare down the barrels of the minion's guns, only to let out a yelp of surprise as one of those very guards grabbed him by the back of the head, before drop kicking him, sending him flying at the horde surrounding the prisoners, bowling them over before crashing into the wall of the cavern, leaving a sizeable crater.

* * *

_As the dust settles... _

"Good grief…" the offending demon muttered, shaking it's massive, horned scaly head in disbelief as it turned it's golden eyes to the stunned captives and equally stunned minions, who hadn't been expecting a traitor in the ranks, never mind one so BIG "Not only do you three break Guild rules to go after that hothead, you can't even do it right?"

"Hothead?" Lisanna repeated, the silver haired girl blinking up at the demon in dawning comprehension "Don't tell me…" she wondered, eyes widening "Mira-nee? Is that you?"

"You were expecting Morgan La Fey?" the demon demanded, it's form developing a patchwork pattern before fading away to reveal the eldest Takeover sibling, her long silver hair held back with a ponytail and her arms crossed as she glared at the suddenly nervous Elfman and Gray "And you two, can't you even pull off a rescue right?"

"G-Gomen! Nee-chan!" Elfman stammered, waving his hands defensively, only to blink, looking at his provocatively dressed eldest sibling in confusion "But Neechan…what're you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mirajane demanded, a hand on her hip and a frown on her face "I finished my job early and came back, only for the Master to tell me what that hothead pulled." She thumbed at herself with a smirk "So he sent me to drag the idiot back, I just wasn't expecting to have to deal with you three as well."

"GET THAT GIRL!" Igor croaked, the diminutive manservant lying upside down in his crater in the wall, apparently capable of taking a beating, his words causing the remaining demons to gang up on them once more "FIRE AT WILL!"

"Ice Make: SHIELD!" Gray declared, creating a large, flowery wall between them and the onslaught of bullets, even as Mirajane and Elfman activated their Takeovers, Mirajane transforming into a large, Devil-woman shape, while Elfman's right arm morphed into a massive, scaly limb with claws, which he used to free Lisanna.

"Stick close to Gray until your magic recovers," Mirajane ordered over her shoulder, before leveling a glare at the half-naked Icemaker "And heaven help you if anything ELSE happens to my little sister, Fullbuster!"

So saying, the eldest Takeover wizard threw herself into the air, coming down on the demon hordes with a snarl on her face, sending them flying in all directions.

"She's scarier than the demons…" Gray muttered, the Icemaker looking on with a kind of terrified awe as he watched several of the demons actually call out for their mothers, despite having eaten them long ago "Could've been worse I suppose…the Master could've sent Erza…"

* * *

_With Wendy and Happy... _

"Happy stop!" Wendy called out, the Sky Dragonslayer struggling in the avian feline's clutches as he carried her through the winding tunnels of Devil's Castle "We can't leave Natsu behind!"

"Natsu said he could take care of himself!" Happy countered, his features lined with emotion as he pushed himself onwards "He said to get you out of here! He'll catch up to us! I know it!"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" a demon roared, rounding the corner just a few meters behind them, opening fire with a salvo of bullets that Happy narrowly avoided by rounding another corner.

"GO faster Happy!" Wendy exclaimed, hugging the Princess to her chest as she took huge gulps of air with each breath. Like all Dragonslayers, Wendy was able to consume her element in order to replenish her magical stores. Natsu, as the Fire Dragonslayer, needed to consume fire, and the better quality of the fire, the better he recovered. Wendy, as the Sky Dragonslayer, could literally consume the air around her to restock, but considering the heavy, musty flavor of the air in the tunnels of Devil's Castle, it would take a while for her to recover enough so she could fly without having to tax Happy.

"This is Happy's Max Speed!" the little blue feline insisted, his lips drawn back and teeth bared as he flapped his little wings in a vain attempt to go faster, weaving around the occasional bullet sent their way by their pursuers.

A light appeared at the front of the tunnel, growing steadily closer, Happy's eyes widening in alarm as a blood-red sphere of energy raced towards them, the little cat swerving in mid-air to avoid a direct hit, only to let out a wail as it exploded, tossing them out of the air.

"HAPPY!" Wendy yelped, hugging the princess tight to her chest as she curled into a ball, rolling down the steps before coming to a halt at the base of a statue, staring up at the little blue cat in concern, only to sigh in relief as he lay there, dizzy but otherwise unharmed "Thank God…"

"Not just yet…" a dark, charismatic voice mocked, the Sky Dragonslayer flinching as she looked up to find Lucifer standing over her, a horde of demons at his back, all carrying guns and clubs. She flinched as the count's ruby-red eyes stared down at her mockingly. Looking on as he held out his hand "The Princess, if you would?"

* * *

_With Natsu..._

"HAPPY! WENDY!" Natsu's voice rang out, the Fire Dragonslayer rounding a corner, several demon's hot on his heels, as he tore through the darkened hallways, looking for his feline friend and adoptive sibling "WHERE ARE YOU? I'M COMING SO HANG ON!"

"Looking for someone?" a deep, charismatic voice called out, Natsu's eyes widening as he recognized it as Lucifer's, the count's voice echoing around the darkened walls of the tunnel "Such a noisy little brat."

"WHO YOU CALLING A BRAT YOU FREAK?" Natsu yelled, turning in the direction of the voice, his eyes aflame "JUST WASH YOUR HAIR AND WAIT FOR ME! I'LL GIVE YOU A HOTFOOT YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!"

"Can't even make a proper threat…" Lucifer mocked, his baritone chuckles echoing darkly through the halls of the castle "Never mind Breaking and Entering, Assault and Battery and Stealing. Good grief, what are they teaching children these days?"

"Hold still and I'll show ya!" Natsu insisted, glaring as he saw a light at the end of the tunnel, racing towards it, only to pull up short, eyes widening in alarm as he entered the dimly lit room "WENDY! HAPPY!"

"N-Natsu-nii…" Wendy managed to get out, the younger Dragonslayer pulling at Lucifer's hand around her neck, the count apparently holding her up without any visible strain, the Princess held in his other hand, and Happy under his foot.

"You son of a-!" Natsu swore, the elder Dragonslayer gritting his teeth as he charged forwards, fists ignited with fiery wrath as he bore down on the smirking count "LET THEM GO!"

"I think NOT." Lucifer countered, stepping harder on Happy, earning a yowl of pain from the little cat that froze Natsu in his tracks "I have had a LONG, very trying day, so to speak, what with you and those other meddlers running amuck, and would appreciate it, GREATLY, if you'd just give yourself up…" he tightened his grip on Wendy's Neck "Before I do something…untoward."

Natsu growled, glaring at the count with enough heat that it was a wonder Lucifer didn't burst into flame, only for another set of pained cries from the captives to make him start, his shoulders slumping as he allowed his fire to die out.

"Smart boy." Lucifer chuckled, even as his demonic servants dog-piled on the elder Dragonslayer, pummeling him en masse as the count looked on with twisted amusement, Wendy's eyes filled with tears as Natsu's hand twitched beneath the onslaught, before going still.

"Natsu-nii…" she whimpered, her eyes closing as tears fell from her eyes to the dusty floor below "NATSU-NII-!"

* * *

Hundreds of miles away...

Amidst the sound of falling water and the ruslting of leaves, a pair of eyes snapped open, turning to scowl in the direction of the wind, the moon shining bright overhead.

"Wendy…"

* * *

_Back in the amphitheatre... _

"Is this the best you've got?" Mirajane demanded, the elder Takeover sibling living up to her moniker as the 'Devil Lady' as she thrashed the oncoming hordes with her overpowering strength "You think you can get away with bullying my siblings when you're this WEAK?"

"It's not that they're weak, Nee-chan…" Elfman muttered, the younger Takeover mage sweatdropping as he used his arm to punch a giant demon into the wall "It's that you're too strong…"

"Ice Make: HAMMER!" Gray declared, creating a massive hammer that flattened several of the demons trying to sneak up on him and Lisanna, the Icemaker panting for breath.

"Gray, you okay?" Lisanna asked, the youngest takeover sibling looking out from behind the pillar she'd been hiding behind as Gray covered for her, as she still couldn't use her magic.

"Little winded…is all…" Gray assured her, gasping for breath as he glared out at the demons still coming at them "So many…big spells in a row…takes it out of me…"

"And you call yourself a man?" Elfman muttered, the middle takeover sibling using one of the demons as a bowling ball to send another ten flying in all directions "STRIKE!"

"Well you all seem to be having fun…" a charismatic voice noted, the group looking up to find Lucifer looking down on them from the upper levels, his cane held behind his back and a small smile on his face "Really, so many uninvited guests…"

"So you're the big cheese around here?" Mirajane noted, putting her hands on her hips as she ground Igor's face into the ground with one spiked heel "I was wondering who to thank for taking such GOOD care of my little sister."

"Ah, so you're her sister…"Lucifer noted with a smile "I quite failed to see the family resemblance." He snorted "Nevertheless, I must insist that you surrender yourselves, before anything more…unpleasant, occurs."

"Unpleasant?" Mirajane repeated, smirking up at the Count, her shoulders shaking as she shook her head in bemusement "Buddy, you don't know the meaning of the word!" she snarled, leaping into the air, claws extended for Lucifer's face, only to pull up short as the Count stepped to the side to reveal his aces.

"NATSU!" Lisanna called out, the youngest Takeover sibling looking up in horror at the elder Dragonslayer's pummeled body, held up by his collar by a large demon "HAPPY! WENDY-CHAN!"

"That Idiot!" Gray cursed, the semi-naked icemaker looking up at his rival in exasperation, his teeth clenched as the demons gathered around them once again "This is bad-!"

"Your answer, milady?" Lucifer asked, smiling confidently at Mirajane as the Devil Lady was frozen in her tracks, the demons holding the kids hostage tightening their grip around their captive's bodies "Or shall I dispose of these…pests?"

"You little…" Mirajane muttered, her features lined with unholy anger as she bared her fangs, only to slump, dropping down to the floor as her form reverted back, the eldest Takeover sibling raising her hands in the air, Elfman Gray and Lisanna following suit as the demons gathered round them, cackling mockingly and aiming their weapons at their faces.

"A wise choice." Lucifer applauded mockingly "And now that you've dropped your little spell, I can see the family resemblance between you two." His smile was laced with dark approval "Yes, in fact, I can see where she gets her good looks from…Igor!"

"Yes, Milord?" the malformed manservant croaked, shuffling forwards, his body wrapped heavily in bandages and the occasional plaster, having been pulled out of the wall by a pair of demons.

"I believe we have found a better 'host' for tonight's festivities." Lucifer instructed, his tone laced with dark humor "Give her, and our other guests, a little something to DRINK, and then escort the others to The Wall."

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Gray muttered, grimacing as he was held in place by several large, beefy demons, who cackled as they dragged him, Elfman and Lisanna off, leaving Mirajane with the Count.

* * *

_Moments later... _

"The moment has finally arrived my Gruesome friends!" Lucifer declared, the Count spreading his arms wide as the demons roared their pleasure, Mirajane scowling up at him from the chair that had held Lisanna not moments before, her magic sealed by the potion she'd been forced to drink "Rejoice! For the season of Fear and Chaos will soon be upon us!"

A countdown replaced the mural on the wall behind the Count, even as the overhead skylight retracted, revealing the starry sky above.

"Soon, the creatures of Darkness will be the Regents of the Planet!" Lucifer continued, spreading his arms wide as the moon slowly came into view overhead "There will be nowhere on the planet that we cannot tread!" he smirked as the countdown reached Zero "Let the Princess Awaken!" he declared, staring at the gem in question as it stood on it's clawed pedestal in the moonlight "So that her brilliant Light, can lead us into unending DARKNESS!"

'This guy sure likes to hear himself talk…' Mirajane muttered, scowling up at the Ruby-Eyed count in distaste, only to flinch as the Moon seemed to glow, a beam of light shining down into the chamber, bathing the Sleeping Princess in it's brilliance, the demons looking on in wonderment as the light refracted off the gem, into the mouths of eight nearby gargoyles, which glowed red, before launching the now crimson rays back at the crystal, which shone with the brilliance of a rainbow.

"The Princess…" Lucifer declared, his voice filled with triumphant emotion aas he spread his arms wide in victory "IS AWAKE!"

* * *

Things are really looking bad for our heroes huh?

What is the Count's plan for the Princess Diamond?

What has befallen our heroes?

Will the cavalry arrive on time?

You bet your turban it will, but review to find out anyways!


	11. Chapter 11

Things are really starting to heat up now.

Mirajane: I don't see why 'I' had to be tied up!

Kyugan: But then Natsu wouldn't be able to save you!

Mirajane: I don't NEED saving!

Kyugan: But he'd get all bloody and bothered trying!

Mirajane: *Blinks at the image of chibi-natsu getting all worked up* Well...he IS cute when he get's bothered...

Lisanna: Nee-chan...

Kyugan: Seriously, what the HECK is it about Natsu that attracts all the crazy ones?

* * *

Chapter 11: Best Laid Plans.

"Well this sucks…" Gray muttered, the Icemaker, along with all the other Wizards, buried up to his neck in The Wall, his hands sticking out in front of him like some morbid carving "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into, matchstick."

"Ugh…bite me…pervert…" Natsu muttered, the berry-headed elder Dragonslayer wincing in pain from the beating he'd endured at the hands of Lucifer's overzealous flunkies.

"Natsu-nii…" Wendy uttered, the little girl looking over at the elder Dragonslayer sadly, her eyes filled with concern and remorse at the sight of his injuries, hanging her head in shame "Sorry…it's all my fault…"

"What? This?" Natsu countered, grinning up at the younger Dragonslayer despite the pain it caused his battered features "Naw, I just let my guard down, you did great Wendy."

"Good grief…" Lisanna sighed, the youngest Takeover wizard looking over at her own sibling, who was sniffling helplessly within his own constraints "Why can't you be more like Natsu, Elf-nii?"

"G-Gomen, Lisanna-chan…" Elfman sniffed, looking downcast as he peered at the ground before them "I couldn't even help you…and now Neechan's going to have her blood drained and it's all my fault!"

"No it's not…" Lisanna sighed, shaking her head with a kindly smile, wishing she could pat her elder brother on the head to calm him "You all did your best Elf-nii, all of you did!"

"Dammit…" Natsu grumbled, the berry-head struggling to break free from his confinement, glaring spitfire at the little pink monster from earlier, who was sitting across atop a nearby gargoyle "What're you looking so smug for you little freak? If I could use my magic you'd be char grilled by now!"

"Problem is we CAN'T use magic right now." Gray muttered, sighing in exasperation as he slumped in his restraints "Remember? They forced us all to drink some weird potion earlier…I can't even make a chill, let alone ice."

"Wait…" Wendy blinked, the younger dragonslayer's eyes widening as she looked between the others in confusion "Lisanna-nee, you didn't drink any potion, did you?"

"Me?" Lisanna replied, looking confused "I think they gave me some earlier, when Lucifer drugged my tea…" she blinked "Waitaminute! He said he only drugged the teacup! I never actually drank any potion!"

"There can't have been a lot of whatever drug he used if you couldn't taste it!" Gray reasoned, looking up at the youngest Takeover sibling encouragingly "It has to have worn off by now!"

"I'll give it a try!" Lisanna cheered, closing her eyes and concentrating, a warm feeling washing over her as the familiar feeling of her magic aura shone "YATTA! I can use my magic again!"

"YOSHA!" Natsu cheered, grinning ferally as Lisanna's body began to glow, the puffball's eyes widening in alarm "Better run you little bastard! Lisanna's real scary when she's mad!"

"Who's scary?" Lisanna demanded, her tone laced with mock anger as she morphed into a large, gorilla like shape with green and purple highlights, a Forest Vulcan, the stone around her shattering as her muscles expanded, causing the rest of the wall to collapse as well "No you don't!" the transformed wizard grunted, her giant hand coming down to land on the puffball as it raced off to sound the alarm, bringing it up to her face as it struggled in her grip, screaming in terror "Time for you to take a hike!"

So saying, she wound up, before hurling the annoying little thing as far as she could, sending it smashing through one of the upper windows and out into the night sky beyond.

"FREEDOM!" Natsu cheered, the Fire Dragonslayer grinning as he pumped his arms in the air, before rotating his shoulders in turn "Feels great to be outta there! ADRIAN!"

"For once I agree with you, Matchstick." Gray noted, the Icemaker still dressed in nothing but his boxers, which had chafed like hell when he'd been embedded in the rock, as Happy gave an 'Aye' of agreement.

"C'mon!" Elfman urged, the elder Takeover Wizard turning around, already partly down the corridor as he gestured for them to follow "We gotta save Neechan!"

"Elf-Nii!" Lisanna called out, shifting back from her ape-like form with a sigh, shaking her head as her elder sibling ran off "Mataku…what good's he going to do when he can't use magic?"

"We'll think of something!" Natsu insisted, grinning as he leapt down from the wall, having leapt up and dislodged one of the flaming torches from it's holder, chowing down on the fire with gusto "Now c'mon!"

* * *

_Meanwhile... _

It had not been a good day for Ybrik, but then that was nothing new, because life had never been good to it in the first place.

As the smallest, weakest member of Lucifer's army, Ybrik was used to getting picked on by the larger, more intimidating demons, it's small size and ridiculous appearance earning it the derogatory title of 'mascot' for Lucifer's legions of terror.

Even Igor, who possessed absolutely no combat ability whatsoever, was stronger than the little pink demon, and he was simply a severely malformed human whose family had been in the service to Count Lucifer for generations.

Ybrik had thought, when he'd been assigned to watch over the prisoners when they'd been sentenced to life in The Wall, that things were finally looking up for him, as now HE had a chance to be the tormentor. But then the silver haired bitch that the count had been entertaining earlier regained the use of her powers, and he'd been once again tossed aside like yesterday's garbage.

Well they'd regret not finishing him off, he vowed, for as soon as he could stop himself, he was heading back to the castle and raising the alarm!

Unfortunately for Ybrik, when he finally came to a halt, it was because something had grabbed him out of the air, the little demon looking up in terror at the grim-faced visage of his captor.

"So this is where they're holed up…" the figure muttered, turning his glare from Ybrik, who was wetting himself in terror, to the devil's hand, his own stretching out towards the mountain, fingers splayed "thanks for the directions…"

Ybrik was dimly aware of light gathering in his captor's extended hand, the one that was holding his head, which was really all his body consisted of, before he was splattered like a over-ripe melon.

* * *

_With Lucifer... _

"Finally…" Lucifer smirked, the count reaching out to pick up the now glowing crimson ruby from it's pedestal, wincing slightly as the discharge of energy singed his hands like an electrical charge "After thousands of years, countless ceremonies…at last, now we can-!"

He trailed off as the entire chamber shook, his ruby-eyes widening as he stumbled, almost dropping the crimson gem, looking up at the screen behind him alarm as the rest of his minions held on for dear life. "What?" he demanded, gaping at the image displayed on the giant Lacrima screen "The Devil's hand is collapsing!"

"Not to worry Master," Igor assured the Count, the malformed Manservant using the armrest of Mirajane's chair to regain his footing "It's only the pinky-finger."

"You're right…" Lucifer reasoned, his features relaxing somewhat, though he still seemed shaken by the sudden destruction of his fortress, "No need to concern ourselves," he repeated, a confident smirk adorning his features "the Master Plan is still in effect."

"Master Plan?" Mirajane repeated, the eldest Takeover sibling quirking one delicate silver brow in the Count's direction as she sat tied to her chair, unable to transform thanks to Igor's drugs "So just what IS this Master Plan of yours?"

"The plan Master came up with of course…" Igor croaked, as if this was the simplest thing in the world to understand, earning a glare from Mirajane that caused him to back away hurriedly. Her magic sealed or not, nobody but Erza could match the eldest Takeover sister's patented 'Devil Glare', only for it to cut off, her gaze turning to the center of the room, Mirajane's eyes widening as she saw what was slowly rising from the depths before her.

"How many days, Igor?" Lucifer chuckled, the count donning a thick pair of dark sunglasses as one of the walls on the far side of the amphitheatre slit open, revealing itself to be a set of giant, mechanical doors, a distant sunrise appearing in the distance "How many centuries have we waited for this very moment?"

"A…Magic Focusing Cannon?" Mirajane exclaimed, the stunned Takeover Wizard eyeing the giant, cannon like weapon that looked like a cross between some giant insect and a wyvern in disbelief "What're you going to do with that?"

"It's quite simple really…" Lucifer chuckled, the count placing the glowing crimson Princess gem, which Mirajane realized now must be some sort of Lacrima crystal, inside the machine, which began to power up, the amplifying gems set into it's body lighting up with an ominous hum "We're going to blow up the sun!"

"The…sun?" Mirajane repeated, looking at the count in amazement, only to throw her head back, mocking laughter tearing from her lips "What are you stupid?" she demanded, sneering up at the count through half-shut lids "There's no way you can do that! And even if you could, and that's a VERY big IF mind you, we need the sun to survive!"

"Maybe YOU do." Lucifer countered, looking a little miffed at her mockery, though he brushed it off with the confidence of one who has all the cards stuffed up his sleeves "But to us, my dear, the sun is just a nuisance…" he smirked at her "You see, we love Darkness, and thanks to the Princess…and this magical cannon designed by the Black Wizard Zeref…" he smirked at Mirajane's look of shock "We can at last rid ourselves of our greatest nuisance!"

"NEECHAN!" a voice called out, the trio turning just in time to see Elfman tearing out of the nearest tunnel, his Gakuran coat discarded as he punched his way through the horde of demons, Natsu and Gray hot on his heels, with Wendy, a scared Happy clinging to her shoulders, and what looked Like a Vulcan bringing up the rear.

"LITTLE PESTS!" Lucifer snarled, glaring down at them in annoyance, before rounding on his manservant "Igor, watch the machine!" he clenched his right hand with a snarl, crimson energy forming in his palm "I'll deal with these pests once and for all!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Natsu mocked, the elder Dragonslayer using Elfman's shoulders as a springboard to propel himself over the blast, leaping right into Lucifer's face, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks, only for the Count to swat them aside with little concern, as without his flames, the Dragonslayer's punches couldn't do much damage.

While this was going on, Igor had grabbed a hold of an axe, and was charging Elfman head on, the Takeover Wizard currently fending off several of the count's minions on his own, intending to bury the head of his weapon between the teen's shoulder blades. But Elfman, his senses heightened by the battle rush, heard the little troll coming, and dodged to the side, Igor's attack over-reaching, the malformed manservant gaping in confusion, just before the Takeover Wizard delivered a punishing blow to the side of his head, leaving the manservant's head buried several feet into the floor, the imprint of Elfman's massive fist in his skull.

"Enough of this!" the count snarled, enraged at his bumbling manservant's defeat, backhanding Natsu across the face, sending the Berry head tumbling ass-over-teakettle across the ground, charging up another Scarlet Blast in his palm, hurling it at the teen as he staggered to his knees "DIE!"

"NATSU!" Grey yelled, the Icemaker throwing himself at his rival, trying to knock him out of the way, knowing instantly that they were both doomed even as he tackled them, their eyes shutting just as the Scarlet blast hit, causing a massive explosion.

"Natsu-!" Lisanna cried out, the transformed Takeover sibling's Vulcan features shifting into a look of horror as she froze, gaping at the smoking crater where her secret crush had met his end "No-!"

"Natsu! Gray!" Elfman called out, the middle Takeover sibling supporting a still weakened Mirajane in his arms as he gaped at the scene before them in horror "Oi! Are you alright! Say something!"

"Those idiots…" Mirajane grit out, though if you looked closely, you could see pain in the devil lady's eyes as she averted them from the smoking crater "Why'd they come here…?"

"Natsu-nii…" Wendy whimpered, her eyes tearing up as she covered her mouth, only to blink, her nostrils twitching as she caught a familiar scent, her eyes widening in recognition as she looked up, loosing a gasp of surprise.

"Wendy-chan?" Lisanna-as-Vulcan wondered, looking down at the younger Dragonslayer in concern, noting in surprise that her tears were now tears of joy as she followed her gaze skyward, eyes widening at the sight before her "That's-!"

* * *

_With Natsu... _

"Ugh…wha?" Natsu muttered, the Dragonslayer shifting as he opened his eyes "Jus' a few more minutes…" he muttered, only to blink, his eyes popping open as he gaped down at the ground below "UOH? What's going on?"

"Too loud…" Gray muttered, the Icemaker coming to with a groan as he glared at his hotheaded rival "What're you making all that noise for, matchstick?" he demanded, only to gape as he saw the reason for the berry-head's distress "GACK! What're we doing up here? Don't tell me we died!"

"Aah!" Natsu wailed, the elder dragonslayer gripping the sides of his head in horror as tears erupted from his eyes like waterfalls "I can't be dead! I haven't found Igneel yet!"

"You're not dead…" an annoyed voice growled, the duo blinking as they realized, for the first time, that someone was holding them under his arms, looking up in amazement to find a strange, teenage creature, possibly a the same age as Mirajane or Erza, glaring down at them, his antenna rustling in the wind "But that can be easily rectified if you keep making too much noise."

"AAAAH!" Natsu and Gray yelped, the two rival mages gaping up at the green-skinned, pointy eared creature in understandable alarm, their arms raised over their heads, which were spiked out from terror "DEMON!"

"Calm down!" the creature barked, glaring at the trembling pair in growing annoyance "I'm not a demon," he added curtly "though if you don't stop struggling I WILL drop you."

The pair instantly froze, looking up at their pointy-eared savior with the same look of fear they normally reserved for Erza, even as he began to lower himself to the floor, promptly dropping them the minute he touched down.

"ITE-!" Natsu yelped, rubbing his bruised backside with a grimace, before hopping to his feet and glaring up at the figure "TEME-!" he yelled, "Who do you think you are!"

"PICCOLO-SAN!" Wendy called out, Natsu cutting off in mid-tirade as the younger Dragonslayer ran up to the green skinned man with a look of joy on her face, a terrified Happy leaping from her shoulders to hide behind Natsu "You came to help us!"

"Hey there kid." Piccolo greeted, his features losing some of their sternness as he reached down to pat the girl on the head "Looks like you had a rough time of it."

"W-Wendy-chan?" Natsu stammered, the berry-head and Gray looking between his adoptive sibling and the tall Namekian teen in confusion "D-do you know this guy?"

"Talk later…" Piccolo countered, shoving Wendy towards the two teens, before leaping back to dodge one of Lucifer's Scarlet blasts "Get out of here! I'll deal with this clown!"

"Piccolo-san!" Wendy exclaimed, reaching out to the Namekian teen as he took to the skies once more, dodging Lucifer's blasts and sending a few of his own towards the Count, who scrambled to avoid them "We have to help him!"

"I think Piccolo has things well in hand here…" Lisanna insisted, the youngest Takeover sibling having shifted back to her own form as she placed a calming hand on the girl's shoulder "We should do as he says and get out of here."

"What are you talking about?" Mirajane demanded, the eldest Takeover sibling looking from the battle between the two apparent monsters and her younger sister "Lisanna, do you KNOW that…that THING?"

"Piccolo-san is a real man, Neechan!" Elfman insisted, causing his elder sister to look up at him in confusion as he nodded his head confidently "We can trust him to put an end to this!"

"Elfman…?" Mirajane wondered, blinking at the certainty in her usually timid sibling's voice, before frowning at the group as a whole "You all owe me a BIG explanation when this is all over!"

"Hai!" Lisanna chirped, before giving a little pirouette and shifting into her giant bird from, squatting down to let the others grab hold of her back, before scooping up Natsu and Gray in her talons and flying out the window into the sunrise.

* * *

_With Piccolo... _

"What in the hell are you?" Lucifer demanded, launching a volley of Scarlet blasts at Piccolo as the Namekian swerved overhead "Why would a demon turn on his own kind? Why do you side with those human brats!"

"I might not be human…" Piccolo countered, the reborn Namekian smirking at the Count a he dodged the deadly, but predictable crimson blasts the Vampire rip-off was sending his way "But I'm not a demon either."

"Is that so?" Lucifer hissed, his handsome features morphing into his monstrous visage behind his glasses as he hurled a massive blast at the Namek with both hands, before leaping for the firing stud of the Cannon "THEN YOU CAN DIE WITH YOUR PRECIOUS HUMANS!"

"Sorry…" Piccolo muttered, smirking down at the Count as he raised his palm in the air, a small glow emitting in the center "But I got better things to do today than die…"

Rearing his arm back, the teenage Namekian allowed his Ki to grow, veins pulsing in his arm as a ring of Ki formed around it, rising up to his palm, hovering above it as a solid disk of energy. "KURAEI!" the Namekian roared, hurling the disk like an Olympic champion at the base of the Cannon "KIENZAN!"

The Spinning disk of energy hummed as it cut through the air, flying fast and true, carving through the base of the Magical focusing cannon just as Lucifer pressed the firing stud, the Count leaping off the platform with a snarl as the entire thing fell to the ground, which collapsed beneath the weight of the weapon.

"CURSE YOU!" Lucifer hissed, latching onto the wall of the collapsing amphitheatre with his clawed hands, glaring heatedly up at the Namekian hovering above him in mid-air, "This isn't over!" he vowed, shaking his free hand in the air as the Namekian suddenly turned and flew off "I'll hunt you down and-!"

He trailed off, ruby-red eyes widening in alarm behind his sunglasses as a red light washed over him, the Count looking down in horror to find the barrel of the Magical Focusing Cannon, fully charged with the magical energy from the Sleeping Princess, aimed up at him as the weapon fell into the depths of Devil's Castle, a terrified scream tearing from his throat as the weapon fired, enveloping him in it's blast as it tore through the wall behind him, the Devil's hand literally exploding in the aftermath.

* * *

_Outside the Devil's Hand..._

"HOLY SHIT!" Gray swore, the Icemaker's, and an equally startled Elfman's eyes wide and bulging out of their skulls as they watched the entire mountain collapse in on itself "What in the hell did that guy DO in there!"

"SO COOL!" Natsu called out, his eyes sparkling as he watched the mountain collapse, covering his eyes against the sunrise to get a better look "I wonder if I could do the same thing?"

"WHY WOULD YOU WANT TOO?" Gray and Elfman demanded, the pair of them slapping the air over the Dragonslayer's head, even as Lisanna and Wendy sighed in exasperation.

"Good grief…" Lisanna sighed, shaking her head as she watched her secret crush get into a fistfight with his rival and her elder brother "He never changes, does he?"

"Aye!" Happy chirped, the little cat resting securely in Wendy's arms, lifting a paw in the air as it spotted something flying towards them "Ah! Look! A survivor!"

"Where?" Mirajane demanded, the group getting into a battle stance, only to relax uncertainly as Piccolo touched down in front of them, rotating his shoulder slightly so his cape rested behind him.

"Piccolo-san!" Wendy cheered out, literally throwing herself at the tall, teenage Namekian, grapping him around the waist in a tight hug, earning a pat on the head for her trouble, before turning to the others, "Everyone, this is Piccolo-san!" she introduced, spreading her arms wide even as Piccolo crossed his own "He's the one who rescued me when Grandine disappeared, and brought me to Fairy Tail!"

"EH?" Natsu and Gray gaped, the two rivals looking from the beaming little girl they'd come to know to the scowling Namekian teen that stood over her with understandable confusion "NO WAY!"

"It's true!" Wendy insisted, pumping her arms for emphasis "If it weren't for Piccolo-san, I might never have come to Fairy Tail! He's the one who taught me how to fly too!"

"How to WHAT?" Mirajane demanded, the eldest Takeover sibling frowning between the little girl and the tall Namekian in suspicion, before rounding on the sheepish looking Elfman and Lisanna who hadn't freaked out with the rest of them "Elfman! Lisanna! Did you two know about this?"

"Erm…well…" Elfman stammered, the middle Takeover sibling sweating profusely under his eldest sibling's stare "A man doesn't go spilling other people's secret's, Neechan!"

"He's right Mira-nee…" Lisanna insisted, stepping forwards to take the heat off her elder brother as Mirajane turned her attention to her "Wendy-chan asked us to keep it a secret, he's living in the woods with Porlyusica."

"Granny Porly?" Natsu exclaimed, the elder dragonslayer looking up at the teenage Namekian with a renewed sense of awe and respect "Man! You mustn't be scared of anything!"

"The old woman's only nasty around humans." Piccolo countered, the Namekian crossing his arms as he levelled an intimidating smirk down at the excited berry-head "Do I look human to you kid?"

'No way in hell…' the rest of the Fairy Tail Wizards, with the exception of a beaming Wendy, muttered, looking up at the almost six foot Namek with deadpan expressions.

"In any case," Mirajane coughed, the eldest Takeover Sibling looking up at the Namek, refusing to be intimidated by his stare as she placed her hands on her hips "What were you doing here?"

"I sensed something happened to Wendy while meditating." Piccolo supplied, patting the beaming Sky Dragonslayer on the head "When I tracked her Ki signature to investigate, I found the mountain Natsu there was going on about, and put two-and two together."

"Ki signature?" Mirajane frowned, wondering where on earth she'd heard that phrase before, only to shrug offhandedly and sigh "Well, no matter…" she reasoned, looking up at the Namek with a confident smirk, holding out her hand "Thanks for the help, Piccolo."

"Yeah!" Natsu cheered, pumping his arms excitedly as he planted himself before the Namekian, who'd accepted the handshake after a moment's hesitation "Where'd you learn to fly like that? Is it magic? Can I learn it?"

"Hold on there hothead!" Mirajane snapped, turning her Devil Glare on the berry-head, causing him to recoil in horror "The only thing you gotta concern yourself with is how badly the Master's gonna punish you for this little stunt!" she rounded on Gray and Elfman, who flinched from her glare "That goes for you two idiots as well! What were you thinking, going on an A-Class quest without permission?"

"But we were trying to STOP Natsu!" the pair insisted, railing at the unfairness of it all, only to recoil in horror as Mirajane towered over the three males like some wrathful deity.

"Natsu-nii…" Wendy sighed, the younger Dragonslayer looking on from beside Piccolo, the Namek impressed despite himself as he watched Mirajane grind the berry-head's groin beneath her boot.

"I knew this would happen…" Lisanna sighed, looking on as her elder Sibling turned her ire on the cowering Elfman and Gray "Still it could've been worse…they could've sent Erza too."

Behind them, the sun shone brightly down on what remained of the Devil's hand, the remaining two peaks forming a 'V for Victory' sign as the screams of the males echoed through the morning sky.

* * *

And so the devil's hand arc comes to a close.

Natsu: MY BALLS!

Mirajane: Oh like they won't grow back.

Elfman: Seriosuly, that was over fast.

Gray: That's what She said!

Elfman: Oh you little-!

Piccolo: Do i need to seperate you two?

Natsu: *ballz forgotten* Teach me how to fly!

*Cue scene from DBZ abridged where Gohan get's electrocuted.*

Piccolo: *Antenna sparking* No.


End file.
